A dataset on adolescent mental health in Kenya

Key findings from this study

• The study assembled mental health and psychosocial data from 17,089 Kenyan adolescents, representing one of the most comprehensive collections from the region.
• The researchers measured depression, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences, digital stressors, and help-seeking behaviors alongside socio-demographic characteristics.
• The dataset enables psychometric validation of widely used mental health instruments within sub-Saharan African adolescent populations.

Overview

This dataset comprises mental health and psychosocial information collected from 17,089 adolescents in sixty-three Kenyan public secondary schools across four counties in 2023. The collection addresses a documented gap in reliable adolescent mental health data from low- and middle-income countries. Self-report paper-based questionnaires assessed depression and anxiety symptoms alongside twelve additional psychosocial measures and comprehensive socio-demographic variables.

Methods and approach

Data collection occurred through self-administered paper-based questionnaires administered to secondary school students. The instruments captured depression and anxiety symptoms as primary outcomes. Additional measures included adverse childhood experiences, digital stressors, family stressors, emerging stressors, and help-seeking behaviors. Socio-demographic data accompanied all psychosocial assessments across the four-county sample.

Results

The dataset represents one of the most comprehensive collections of adolescent mental health information available from Kenya. It quantifies the prevalence and distribution of depression, anxiety, and associated risk factors among Kenyan youth in secondary school settings. The data enable examination of protective and risk factor patterns relevant to sub-Saharan African adolescent populations.

The dataset incorporates psychometric instruments widely used in global mental health research, facilitating validation within Kenyan and broader sub-Saharan African contexts. Concurrent measurement of multiple stressor domains—including digital, familial, and adverse childhood experiences—permits analysis of cumulative and interactive risk pathways. Help-seeking behavior data illuminate patterns of mental health service utilization and barriers among adolescents.

Implications

The dataset supports psychometric validation of established mental health instruments in sub-Saharan African contexts, addressing validity questions specific to non-Western adolescent populations. Researchers can utilize the data to identify context-specific risk and protective factors informing intervention design. The comprehensive stressor and outcome measurement enables investigation of mechanisms underlying adolescent mental health challenges in resource-limited settings.

Policymakers and practitioners gain empirical evidence on adolescent mental health prevalence and associated factors necessary for intervention planning and resource allocation. The dataset establishes a foundational evidence base for monitoring adolescent mental health trends within Kenya. Integration of help-seeking behavior data informs strategy development targeting barriers to care access and utilization among Kenyan youth.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.