Let's address mental health illnesses with more seriousness

Media reports about innocent children being abducted, raped and brutally killed have caused sorrow, grief and despair among parents and guardians. 

The murders have, once again, raised concerns over the safety of our children. Why have the same people expected to protect our children turned against them?

As I read a story in The Standard recently about a man who had confessed to sexually assaulting and murdering young girls and another who took police officers to the site where he had interred the bodies of his victims. As a mother of a two-year-old girl, I could not hold back tears. I asked myself one question: What drove these young men to be so inhuman to the extent of taking the lives of children, whom they are supposed to protect?

Dr Catherine Gacutha, a practising psychologist and a former chairperson of Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association, argues: "These (those who commit such acts) are the kind of people that psychologists conclude to have a personality disorder or a mental illness and need medical attention."

"Killing an innocent child means one is very cold on the inside, lacks empathy, is dehumanised and, therefore, is dehumanising his victims. These serial killers are angry and revengeful because of their past experiences," she adds.

Some people turn into paedophiles because they went through similar experience in their childhood. Dr Gacutha says they suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and have the tendency to inflict the same pain to their victims. Gacutha also says the individuals are also cold towards the children because no one cared for them when they were younger.

But while that may be the case, it is important for families and society to do everything to avert these killings. We should be attentive and look out for any telltale signs of disturbed minds and help such persons get medical attention before things get out of hand.

Such individuals tend to be secretive and at times, may hurt other people but do not feel anything about it. This is what psychologists call empathy disorder. They lack sympathy and warmth towards others.

We may notice such behaviour among family members, but assume the individuals would change at some point. When a person beats up another person and doesn't feel anything about it, this must be a cause for concern to society. 

Based on the happenings that have been reported on different media platforms, we need to accept that indeed we have a big problem that needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. Society needs healing and that is why the government should implement the report by the Taskforce on Mental Health, which was led by Dr Frank Njenga.

Besides implementing the report, there is need for the government, through the Ministry of Health, to educate Kenyans more on mental illnesses. We must address this burgeoning problem with the seriousness it deserves. Only after we do that will our children and all of us be safe.

Ms Czeda is a KTN news-anchor-cum reporter