Family Maintaining Strategies for Preventing Relapse of Adolescent Depression in Low-Resource Settings: Evidence from Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Depression impairs the psychosocial functioning of adolescents and families. While it is treatable, available mitigations are inadequate. Guided by Walsh's Family Resilience Theory and Socioecological Theory, family-maintaining strategies for preventing relapse of adolescent depression in low-resource settings in Kisumu County were explored. Using an exploratory cross-sectional survey design, 198 parents of 10-19-year-olds who had been diagnosed with depression were selected through multi-stage sampling. Eight key informants comprising psychiatric mental health nurses, social workers, counselling psychologists, and clinical psychologists were purposively selected. Validity and reliability were ensured at thresholds of .88 and .80, respectively. Data were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Ethical considerations were addressed, with non-disclosure as a key priority. The study found that families maintained good family relationships (M=4.27), taught social skills (M=3.98), solved problems collaboratively (M=3.87), and celebrated members' achievements (M=3.87). Conversely, reservations were held concerning relocating adolescents (M=2.50). The study concludes that there is a weak and non-statistically significant relationship between family maintaining strategies and adolescent depression (r=.287, p=.223), implying that these strategies alone may not sufficiently predict adolescent depression. Thus, there is a need for the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with County Governments, to up-scale formulation and implementation.