HEALTHCARE WORKERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE DEVOLVED HEALTH FUNCTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE GAPS IN NAIROBI COUNTY, KENYA
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Date
2026-11-04
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THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA
Abstract
This research was undertaken to explore healthcare workers’ perspectives on the devolved health function and mental health service gaps in Nairobi County, Kenya. It was guided by the following specific objectives: describe healthcare workers’ perspectives on the devolved health function and mental health prevalence gap; discover healthcare workers’ perspectives on the devolved health function and mental health literacy gap; explore healthcare workers’ perspectives on the devolved health function and mental health funding gap; and understand healthcare workers’ perspectives on the devolved health function and mental health staffing gap. It was anchored on 3 theories: the decentralization theory; the ecological systems theory; and the structural functionalist theory. The study adopted the case study research design and was purely qualitative in approach. The saturation method of sample size determination was applied. Data was collected through in-depth interview guides, key informant interviews, and FGDs, and analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis and document analysis. The findings of the study under the first objective indicated that majority of respondents representing 64 percent were of the general view that Nairobi City County ameliorated the mental health prevalence gap. The findings of the study under the second objective indicated that majority of respondents representing 59 percent were of the general view that Nairobi City County addressed the mental health literacy gap. The findings of the study under the third objective indicated that majority of respondents representing 68.5 percent were of the general view that Nairobi City County addressed the mental health funding gap. The findings of the study under the fourth objective indicated that majority of respondents representing 76.2 percent were of the general view that Nairobi City County addressed the mental health staffing gap. The findings derived from the Braun and Clarke (2006) analytical framework indicated that Nairobi under the county government addressed mental health prevalence gaps, mental health literacy gap, mental health funding gap, and mental health staffing gap The study concluded that devolved health function had played a significant role in ameliorating mental health service gaps in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study recommended that Nairobi City County ought to: further enhance reporting of mental health cases; upscale anti-stigma campaigns; increase mental health budgetary allocation; and hire more mental health experts, and that Kenya’s 47 counties must develop specific budget lines for mental healthcare.
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DISSERTATION
Keywords
Healthcare workers’ perspectives, devolved healthcare, mental health services, mental healthcare gaps, healthcare service delivery, healthcare decentralization, health systems, mental health policy, healthcare accessibility, health service provision, public healthcare, Nairobi County, Kenya