Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment
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)...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00181/full |
| _version_ | 1818471002053541888 |
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| author | Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Barbara J. Regeer David M. Ndetei David M. Ndetei Joske F. G. Bunders-Aelen Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens |
| author_facet | Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Barbara J. Regeer David M. Ndetei David M. Ndetei Joske F. G. Bunders-Aelen Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens |
| author_sort | Ikenna D. Ebuenyi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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 and Methods: Cross-sectional study design where we randomly recruited 72 persons with mental illness through two networks of persons with psychosocial disabilities in Kenya. Experienced and anticipated discrimination were measured using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale version 12 (DISC 12) while social functioning was measured using the Social Functioning questionnaire (SFQ).Results: Experienced discrimination was reported by 81.9% in making or keeping friends, 69.7 and 56.3% in finding or keeping job, respectively, and 63.3% in dating or having an intimate relationship. Anticipated discrimination stopped 59.2% from applying for work, 40.8% from applying for education or training courses, and 63.4% from having a close personal relationship. Females reported an overall higher experienced discrimination than males. Unemployed participants had slightly increased rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination (9.5 vs. 9.1 and 2.5 vs. 2.3, respectively) (p > 0.05), while there was a significant association between impaired social functioning and unemployment [14.0 vs. 11.2 (p = 0.037)].Conclusion: The rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination faced by persons with mental disabilities in Kenya is high and with significant gender disparity. Although no strong associations were observed between experienced and anticipated discrimination and employment, impaired social functioning of persons with mental disabilities seems to have implications for employment. Further research is essential to understand the predictors of the discrimination and measures to reduce them in persons with psychosocial disabilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:45:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-336364741e1440aa94b765b188f40258 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T21:45:10Z |
| publishDate | 2019-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-336364741e1440aa94b765b188f402582022-12-22T02:28:35ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402019-04-011010.3389/fpsyt.2019.00181412672Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for EmploymentIkenna D. Ebuenyi0Ikenna D. Ebuenyi1Ikenna D. Ebuenyi2Barbara J. Regeer3David M. Ndetei4David M. Ndetei5Joske F. G. Bunders-Aelen6Mònica Guxens7Mònica Guxens8Mònica Guxens9Mònica Guxens10Athena Institute, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, SpainAthena Institute, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaAfrica Mental Health Foundation, Nairobi, KenyaAthena Institute, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainDepartment of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, SpainSpanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre–Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, NetherlandsIntroduction: 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 and Methods: Cross-sectional study design where we randomly recruited 72 persons with mental illness through two networks of persons with psychosocial disabilities in Kenya. Experienced and anticipated discrimination were measured using the Discrimination and Stigma Scale version 12 (DISC 12) while social functioning was measured using the Social Functioning questionnaire (SFQ).Results: Experienced discrimination was reported by 81.9% in making or keeping friends, 69.7 and 56.3% in finding or keeping job, respectively, and 63.3% in dating or having an intimate relationship. Anticipated discrimination stopped 59.2% from applying for work, 40.8% from applying for education or training courses, and 63.4% from having a close personal relationship. Females reported an overall higher experienced discrimination than males. Unemployed participants had slightly increased rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination (9.5 vs. 9.1 and 2.5 vs. 2.3, respectively) (p > 0.05), while there was a significant association between impaired social functioning and unemployment [14.0 vs. 11.2 (p = 0.037)].Conclusion: The rates of experienced and anticipated discrimination faced by persons with mental disabilities in Kenya is high and with significant gender disparity. Although no strong associations were observed between experienced and anticipated discrimination and employment, impaired social functioning of persons with mental disabilities seems to have implications for employment. Further research is essential to understand the predictors of the discrimination and measures to reduce them in persons with psychosocial disabilities.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00181/fullmental disabilitydiscriminationsocial functionemploymentKenya |
| spellingShingle | Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Ikenna D. Ebuenyi Barbara J. Regeer David M. Ndetei David M. Ndetei Joske F. G. Bunders-Aelen Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Mònica Guxens Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment Frontiers in Psychiatry mental disability discrimination social function employment Kenya |
| title | Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment |
| title_full | Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment |
| title_fullStr | Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment |
| title_short | Experienced and Anticipated Discrimination and Social Functioning in Persons With Mental Disabilities in Kenya: Implications for Employment |
| title_sort | experienced and anticipated discrimination and social functioning in persons with mental disabilities in kenya implications for employment |
| topic | mental disability discrimination social function employment Kenya |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00181/full |
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