David M Ndetei
Biographic Data
| ID | 100815 |
|---|---|
| NAME | David M Ndetei |
| GIVEN NAMES | David M |
| FAMILY NAME | Ndetei |
| SIGNATURE | NDETEI D M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Nairobi |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6891-4990 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 53 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 69 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 53 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1982 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Dissociative Experiences among Kenyan Youth in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area
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A “both-and” approach to cross-cultural mental health assessment
Cross-cultural mental health assessment faces methodological challenges when Western-derived instruments are applied in non-Western settings, potentially missing culturally salient expressions of distress. This study examines whether locally developed instruments complement Western tools in assessing adolescent mental health among Kenyan youth. We evaluated the Ndetei-Othieno-Kathuku (NOK) Scale alongside the PHQ-8 and GAD-7 in 2906 Kenyan adoles…
An Exploration of Pathways to Care and Referral Systems for Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in Informal Settlements of Nairobi, Kenya
Patterns of loneliness among high school students
Loneliness is recognized as a significant public mental health issue, especially among adolescents. There is insufficient research on adolescent loneliness in countries such as Kenya, where adolescents make up 23% of the population. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of loneliness among high school students living in different regions of Kenya. This cross-sectional study included 2,652 high school students from ten schools across…
Toward integrating clinical and non-clinical associates of suicidality to inform potential intervention points among youth in Nairobi metropolitan, Kenya
Suicide is a significant global public health concern, particularly among adolescents, with substantial implications for economies, societies and individuals' mental well-being. Understanding its patterns and intention and psychosocial determinants in a given context can suggest potential intervention points. This population-based cross-sectional study aimed to document suicidal ideas, behaviors and intensity among youths aged 14 to 25 in the Nai…
A comparative study on the intensity of loneliness among Kenyan youth in school and home environments
Loneliness is a public health concern influenced by environmental contexts. Among youth, it manifests differently at school and home, yet research in low-resource settings is limited. This study examined patterns of loneliness and how economic and sociodemographic factors correlate with it in school and home environments among Kenyan youths in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,972 youths aged 14–25 years …
Cross-national research on adolescent mental health
Resilience and its association with hopelessness, depression, loneliness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideations and behavior in a cohort in the Nairobi Metropolitan
Comprehending resilience in the face of mental health issues is important, especially for young people who deal with a variety of psychological pressures. This study aims to investigate the co-occurrence of several mental health conditions and the role of resilience as a potential intervention in youth 14–25 years in the Nairobi metropolitan area. We recruited 1,972 youths. The following self-administered instruments were used: resilience (ARM-R)…
The moderating and mediating role of resilience in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and depression, PTSD, and suicidality in Kenyan youth
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are widely associated with mental health disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidality. Resilience plays a role in mediation and moderation of these associations, yet there is limited data from Kenya on this. This cross-sectional study examined the role of resilience in the relationship between ACEs and mental health outcomes among 1,972 participants aged 14–25 years in …
Acceptability and feasibility of a brief intervention to enhance resilience among young people and their families in India and Kenya
Enhancing resilience is one way to prevent future mental illnesses and encourage recovery in the face of adversity. To develop and test the acceptability and feasibility (A&F) of a combined family and individual resilience intervention in two rural/semi-rural low-income settings in India and Kenya. We developed a five-session intervention including Life Skills Education (LSE) and a model of family resiliency. Among adolescents aged 14-16 years an…
Depression and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in mothers 6 weeks to 12 months post-delivery in a rural setting in Kenya
Using a cohort of 544 postpartum mothers, 6 weeks to 12 months post-delivery in the largely rural Makueni County in Kenya, we aimed to determine: (1) the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) and the prevalence of each of the four domains of intimate partner violence (IPV), that is physical violence, sexual violence, emotional violence, and controlling behavior; (2) the co-occurrence of PPD and IPV; (3) risk factors and associations between s…
Qualitative analysis of health literacy
Parents are the first-line healthcare providers for their children and, thus, need to identify and treat symptoms, including knowing whether and how to seek treatment from healthcare professionals. In addition to the tangible resources necessary to address childhood illness, parents’ health literacy skills impact their treatment decisions. The current study considered data gathered through focus groups (N = 9 groups) and key informant interviews …
Depressive symptoms and associated social and environmental factors among women living in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya
Approximately 280 million people around the world suffer from depression, and the rates are higher among women than men. For women living in informal settlements in lower - and middle-income countries (LMICs) the prevalence and associated burden of depressive symptoms may be particularly high. The purpose of this paper was to explore factors associated with possible major depressive disorder (MDD) in a probability sample of women living in Mathar…
Boredom–understanding the emotion and its impact on our lives
Boredom is a universal experience overlooked in the scientific community despite most people having experienced it at some point in their lives.Despite being a common emotion, boredom has received little attention compared to other emotions such as happiness or anger (Westgate and Steidle, 2020).Boredom is often considered a trivial and inconsequential emotion, but recent studies have shown that it can have a significant impact on our wellbeing, …
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening for depression in the first year post delivery in a low-resourced rural setting in Kenya
Postnatal depression is one of the most common mental disorders among postnatal mothers and may have severe consequences for mothers and their children. Locally validated screening tools that can be self- or lay interviewer-administered are required to identify at-risk women, especially in settings with no mental health specialists. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a culturally adapted version of the Edinburgh Postnatal …
Individual and community experiences and the use of language in understanding diabetes and depression in rural Kenya
As the prevalence of long-term conditions continues to rise it becomes increasingly important to identify ways to mitigate their effects, including the psychological impact. In rural Kenya identifying people with diabetes or mental health problems is challenging due to the stigma and negative experiences within community settings.Four broad themes were identified; (1) misconceptions and stigma: the use of language, (2) treatment and medications, …
Centering decriminalization of suicide in low – and middle – income countries on effective suicide prevention strategies
Globally, over 800,000 people die by suicide every year. For every one completed suicide, 20 more attempts have been made. As previous attempts are one of the strongest predictors of future suicide, help-seeking in moments of crisis, particularly after an attempt, may have important implications for suicide prevention. Unfortunately, the criminalization of suicide in several countries hinders help-seeking, increases the stigmatization of those wh…
Implementing and Sustaining Brief Addiction Medicine Interventions with the Support of a Quality Improvement Blended-eLearning Course
Quality improvement methods could assist in achieving needed health systems improvements to address mental health and substance use, especially in low-middle-income countries (LMICs). Online learning is a promising avenue to deliver quality improvement training. This Computer-based Drug and Alcohol Training Assessment in Kenya (eDATA-K) study assessed users' experience and outcome of a blended-eLearning quality improvement course and collaborativ…
Blended-eLearning Improves Alcohol Use Care in Kenya
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-022-00841-x
Blended-eLearning Impact on Health Worker Stigma Toward Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Psychoactive Substance Users
This study evaluated factors affecting the completion of blended-eLearning courses for health workers and their effect on stigma. The two courses covered the screening and management of harmful alcohol, tobacco, and other substance consumption in a lower-middle-income country setting. The courses included reading, self-reflection exercises, and skills practice on communication and stigma. The Anti-Stigma Intervention-Stigma Evaluation Survey was …
Reducing Khat use among Somalis living in Kenya
Background During recent decades, the consumption of the stimulant khat ( catha edulis ) has profoundly changed in countries around the Horn of Africa, and excessive use patterns have emerged—especially evident among displaced Somalis. This is related to the development of severe somatic and psychiatric disorders. There are currently no preventive or interventional studies targeting khat use. This study’s aim was to test screening and brief inter…
What drives distress? Rethinking the roles of emotion and diagnosis among people with diabetes in Nairobi, Kenya
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition that both results from and produces social and psychological suffering. As 'diabetes' increases among low income patients in poorer nations, new challenges arise that drive, co-occur, and result from the condition. In this article, we describe how social suffering produces diabetes by way of addressing the varied social, psychological, and biological factors that drive diabetes and are reflected in diabetes…
Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya
Introduction: Persons with mental illness experience social life restriction and stigma that may have implications for their work ability. The aims of this study are (i) to report experienced and anticipated discrimination and social functioning in persons with mental disabilities in Kenya and (ii) to investigate the association between experienced and anticipated discrimination, social functioning, and employment in this population. Materials an…
Towards Understanding the Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Ego Resilience Among Primary School Children in a Kenyan Setting
Intrigues of Accessing Mental Health Services Among Urban Refugees Living in Kenya
This article explores the perceived mental-health-care access barriers affecting the resettled refugee population in Eastleigh, Kenya. Findings suggest that the main barriers to accessing mental health care are cultural and religious beliefs, inadequate health services, culture-insensitive mental health services, poverty, language barriers, stigma, and discrimination. This study recommends that it is important to integrate Somalis' indigenous met…
Stress, diabetes, and infection
Forming a joint dialogue among faith healers, traditional healers and formal health workers in mental health in a Kenyan setting
BackgroundQualitative evidence on dialogue formation and collaboration is very scanty in Kenya. This study thus aimed at the formation of dialogue and establishment of collaboration among the informal (faith and traditional healers) and formal health workers (clinicians) in enhancing community-based mental health in rural Kenya.MethodsQualitative approach was used to identify barriers and solutions for dialogue formation by conducting nine Focus …
An ethnopsychology of idioms of distress in urban Kenya
Idioms of distress have become a central construct of anthropologists who aspire to understand the languages that individuals of certain sociocultural groups use to express suffering, pain, or illness. Yet, such idioms are never removed from global flows of ideas within biomedicine that influence how cultural idioms are conceived, understood, and expressed. This article proposes a preliminary model of ethnopsychology described by urban Kenyans, w…
When Diabetes Confronts HIV
This article investigates how international donor policies cultivate a form of biological sub-citizenship for those with diabetes in Kenya. We interviewed 100 patients at a public hospital clinic in Nairobi, half with a diabetes diagnosis. We focus on three vignettes that illustrate how our study participants differentially perceived and experienced living with and seeking treatment and care for diabetes compared to other conditions, with a speci…
External Built Residential Environment Characteristics that Affect Mental Health of Adults
External built residential environment characteristics include aspects of building design such as types of walls, doors and windows, green spaces, density of houses per unit area, and waste disposal facilities. Neighborhoods that are characterized by poor quality external built environment can contribute to psychosocial stress and increase the likelihood of mental health disorders. This study investigated the relationship between characteristics …
Trauma, Grief and Depression in Nairobi Children After the 1998 Bombing of the American Embassy
Despite the increasingly dangerous world where trauma and loss are common, relatively few studies have explored traumatic grief in children. The 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, provided an unfortunate opportunity to examine this topic. This report describes findings in 156 children who knew someone killed in the incident, assessed 8 to 14 months after the explosion. Bomb-related posttraumatic stress was associated with physical e…
What drives distress? Rethinking the roles of emotion and diagnosis among people with diabetes in Nairobi, Kenya
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a condition that both results from and produces social and psychological suffering. As 'diabetes' increases among low income patients in poorer nations, new challenges arise that drive, co-occur, and result from the condition. In this article, we describe how social suffering produces diabetes by way of addressing the varied social, psychological, and biological factors that drive diabetes and are reflected in diabetes…
Prevalence and determinants of depression among patients under the care of traditional health practitioners in a Kenyan setting
In Kenya, there is paucity of information on depression among traditional health practitioner (THP) patients, particularly in rural areas. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence and identify determinants of major depressive disorder (MDD) among patients of THP in rural Kenya using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guideline (mhGAP-IG). All adult patients seeking care from trained THPs (e…
Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) for screening for depression in the first year post delivery in a low-resourced rural setting in Kenya
Postnatal depression is one of the most common mental disorders among postnatal mothers and may have severe consequences for mothers and their children. Locally validated screening tools that can be self- or lay interviewer-administered are required to identify at-risk women, especially in settings with no mental health specialists. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of a culturally adapted version of the Edinburgh Postnatal …
Towards Understanding the Relationship Between Psychosocial Factors and Ego Resilience Among Primary School Children in a Kenyan Setting
A study of some psychological factors in depressed and non‐depressed subjects in a Kenyan setting
Thirty Kenyan patients (15 consecutive first‐ever referrals to the out‐patient clinic and 15 consecutive first‐ever admissions) of black African origin on chemotherapy for clinical depression (uncomplicated by organic or other psychotic illness) in Nairobi and 40 non‐psychiatrically disturbed controls (controlled for race, sex and age) living in and around Nairobi were included in this study. Information was obtained from each subject using a str…
Trauma, Grief and Depression in Nairobi Children After the 1998 Bombing of the American Embassy
Despite the increasingly dangerous world where trauma and loss are common, relatively few studies have explored traumatic grief in children. The 1998 American Embassy bombing in Nairobi, Kenya, provided an unfortunate opportunity to examine this topic. This report describes findings in 156 children who knew someone killed in the incident, assessed 8 to 14 months after the explosion. Bomb-related posttraumatic stress was associated with physical e…
Retention or Migration of Mental Health Workers
Physical illness in patients with severe mental disorders. I. Prevalence, impact of medications and disparities in health care
The lifespan of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is shorter compared to the general population. This excess mortality is mainly due to physical illness. We report prevalence rates of different physical illnesses as well as important individual lifestyle choices, side effects of psychotropic treatment and disparities in health care access, utilization and provision that contribute to these poor physical health outcomes. We searched MEDLINE …
Improving access to mental health care in Kenya
Purpose The aim of this paper is to review the history of mental health service improvement in Kenya, to discuss current provision of services, challenges to the provision of services and future needs for services. Design/methodology/approach The paper takes the form of a literature review. Findings Mental health care in Kenya has been a progressing field, though the momentum of progress has been less than desired. The reasons for this are comple…
Classes of Psychotic Experiences in Kenyan Children and Adolescents
Knowledge of psychiatric terms and concepts among Kenyan youth
Psychiatric disorders and symptoms are common worldwide. However, cultural differences in symptom manifestation and knowledge of psychiatric terms and concepts represent a challenge to accurate clinical assessment. Our previous youth surveys revealed higher rates of psychotic experiences in Kenya compared to several other countries, suggesting culture may influence psychosis risk assessment survey results. The goal of the present investigation is…
Declaration on mental health in Africa
Urgent action is needed to address mental health issues globally. In Africa, where mental health disorders account for a huge burden of disease and disability, and where in general less than 1% of the already small health budgets are spent on these disorders, the need for action is acute and urgent. Members of the World Health Organization, including African countries, have adopted a Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan. Africa now has an hist…
A national population-based assessment of 2007–2008 election-related violence in Kenya
On a national level in Kenya, politically-motivated and opportunistic sexual and physical violations were commonly reported among sampled adults with associated health and mental health outcomes
External Built Residential Environment Characteristics that Affect Mental Health of Adults
External built residential environment characteristics include aspects of building design such as types of walls, doors and windows, green spaces, density of houses per unit area, and waste disposal facilities. Neighborhoods that are characterized by poor quality external built environment can contribute to psychosocial stress and increase the likelihood of mental health disorders. This study investigated the relationship between characteristics …
Stress, diabetes, and infection
Problems and Adaptive Functioning Reported by Adults in 17 Societies
This study tested for similarities and differences across societies in self-ratings of problems, personal strengths, and aspects of adaptive functioning on the Adult Self-Report (ASR) for nonclinical samples of adults ages 18 to 59 in 17 societies ( N = 10,197). Results indicated considerable consistency across societies regarding mean ratings on the ASR problem items. Most effect sizes (ESs) for societal differences in problem scales were small …
Nurses’ perceptions of mental healthcare in primary-care settings in Kenya
Kenya maintains an extraordinary treatment gap for mental health services because the need for and availability of mental health services are extraordinarily misaligned. One way to narrow the treatment gap is task-sharing, where specialists rationally distribute tasks across the health system, with many responsibilities falling upon frontline health workers, including nurses. Yet, little is known about how nurses perceive task-sharing mental heal…
Nurses’ perceptions of universal health coverage and its implications for the Kenyan health sector
Universal health coverage, comprehensive access to affordable and quality health services, is a key component of the newly adopted 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to the UN resolution, several countries began incorporating elements of universal health coverage into their domestic policy arenas. In 2013, the newly elected President of Kenya announced initiatives aimed at moving towards universal health coverage, which have proven to be c…
Substance Use among a Sample of Healthcare Workers in Kenya
This study describes reported substance use among Kenyan healthcare workers (HCWs), as it has implications for HCWs' health, productivity, and their ability and likelihood to intervene on substance use. The Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was administered to a convenience sample of HCWs (n = 206) in 15 health facilities. Reported lifetime use was 35.8% for alcohol, 23.5% for tobacco, 9.3% for cannabis, 9.3% for s…
Mobile Based mhGAP-IG Depression Screening in Kenya
Forming a joint dialogue among faith healers, traditional healers and formal health workers in mental health in a Kenyan setting
BackgroundQualitative evidence on dialogue formation and collaboration is very scanty in Kenya. This study thus aimed at the formation of dialogue and establishment of collaboration among the informal (faith and traditional healers) and formal health workers (clinicians) in enhancing community-based mental health in rural Kenya.MethodsQualitative approach was used to identify barriers and solutions for dialogue formation by conducting nine Focus …
Non-communicable disease syndemics
Stigma-related mental health knowledge and attitudes among primary health workers and community health volunteers in rural Kenya
BACKGROUND: The study was conducted in rural Kenya and assessed stigma in health workers from primary health facilities. AIMS: This study compared variations in stigma-related mental health knowledge and attitudes between primary health workers (HWs) and community health volunteers (CHVs). METHODS: Participants ( n = 44 HWs and n = 60 CHVs) completed the self-report Mental Health Knowledge Schedule and the Reported and Intended Behavior Scale, al…
Mental Health Outcomes of Psychosocial Intervention Among Traditional Health Practitioner Depressed Patients in Kenya
Factors Influencing Lay and Professional Health Workers’ Self-efficacy in Identification and Intervention for Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Substance Use Disorders in Kenya
Mythical and supernatural creatures in psychiatric symptomatology
Although there are some universal themes in the nature of psychotic psychopathology, like delusions and hallucinations, the content of the symptoms is often shaped by cultural beliefs and personal experiences and thus may differ from place to place. The mental health practitioner needs to be aware of the prevalent cultural myths and beliefs in their geographical area of practice. The increased globalization and migration of individuals makes it i…
Prevalence and determinants of depression among patients under the care of traditional health practitioners in a Kenyan setting
In Kenya, there is paucity of information on depression among traditional health practitioner (THP) patients, particularly in rural areas. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence and identify determinants of major depressive disorder (MDD) among patients of THP in rural Kenya using the World Health Organization (WHO) Mental Health Gap Action Programme Intervention Guideline (mhGAP-IG). All adult patients seeking care from trained THPs (e…
Epidemiological patterns of mental disorders and stigma in a community household survey in urban slum and rural settings in Kenya
PURPOSE: This study investigated the epidemiological patterns of mental illness and stigma in community households in Kenya using a cross-sectional community household survey among 846 participants. METHODS: A cross-sectional community household survey was conducted around urban slum (Kangemi) and rural (Kibwezi) selected health facilities in Kenya. All households within the two sites served by the selected health facilities were included in the …
Suicidal Ideation among Youth Living in the Slums of Kampala, Uganda
The purpose of this study is to examine the factors associated with suicidal ideation among youth living in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Analyses are based on cross-sectional survey data, collected in 2014, of a convenience sample ( n = 1134) of urban service-seeking youth participating in a Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in center. Logistic regression analyses were computed to determine the psychosocial factors associated with suicidal idea…
Medicine (39 works) · Psychiatry (38 works) · Psychology (32 works) · Mental health (28 works) · Mental Health Treatment and Access (21 works) · Environmental health (18 works) · Clinical Psychology (17 works) · Public health (16 works) · Health care (14 works) · Kenya (14 works)