Burden of Mental and Substance Use Disorders Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Kenya: Results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Mental and substance use disorders prevalence is continuing to rise in Kenya in adolescents and young adults as demographic transition is taking place.Methods: The GBD 2019 estimates are cover all available sources of data to estimate the burden of mental and substance use disorders for Kenya at national and sub-national levels for ages 10-24 years are presented here. The prevalence of mental disorders was estimated with DisMod-MR (version 2.1), a Bayesian meta-regression framework that estimates non-fatal health outcomes by location, age, sex, and year ad results were obtained from the GBD Results tool.Findings: In 2019, mental disorders were the second leading cause of disability among 10–24-year-olds in Kenya and accounted for 248,936 [95% uncertainty interval 175,033; 341,680] DALYs or 9.4% of 2,656,546 DALYs. Substance use disorders accounted 15,022 [9,948; 20,710] DALYs. Total DALYs from mental and substance use disorders for females were higher than males. The prevalence of depressive, anxiety, bipolar, and eating disorders were higher in females than males, whereas the prevalence of developmental (attention-deficit and hyperactivity, autism spectrum, and conduct disorders, and idiopathic developmental disability), personality, alcohol use and drug use disorders were higher in males. Depressive, anxiety, and conduct disorders accounted for the highest prevalence of mental disorders.Interpretation: Improved surveillance of mental health and substance abuse burden at national and sub-national levels is needed. Focus on timely screening and intervention development for developmental, conduct, and substance use disorder in young boys and depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in females is critically needed.Funding Information: MK was funded by FIC/NIMH K43 TW 010716. The study did not receive specified funding. Declaration of Interests: Authors report no conflict of interest.