African Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics (Research focus) | 06 July 2012
Adoption and Outcomes of Mobile-Based Mental Health Support Platforms for Depression Among Somali Refugees in Kenya’s Coastal Cities,
M, a, r, y, N, j, o, g, u, ,, R, a, c, h, e, l, W, a, m, b, u, i, ,, O, s, c, a, r, K, i, p, o, g, e, n, i, ,, A, b, r, a, h, a, m, O, c, h, i, e, n, g
Abstract
Mobile-based mental health support platforms have been increasingly adopted to address depression among Somali refugees in Kenya’s coastal cities. A comprehensive systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria including the use of mobile-based mental health platforms for depression among Somali refugees in Kenya’s coastal cities between and . Among the studies reviewed, there was a moderate adoption rate (45% to 60%) of these platforms by the target population. The qualitative thematic analysis revealed themes such as increased access to mental health services and improved depression symptoms among participants who used mobile-based support platforms. Mobile-based mental health support platforms have shown promise in enhancing access to care for depressed Somali refugees in Kenya’s coastal cities, although further research is needed to evaluate long-term outcomes and sustainability of these interventions. Future studies should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of mobile-based mental health platforms over a longer period and explore potential barriers to adoption among different populations within this community. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.