lowereas
Journalists in Kenya were ranked among the most vulnerable professional groups to depression and mental health challenges, according to various research findings and occupational studies conducted over the years.
While national health surveys in Kenya did not provide a definitive profession-by-profession ranking of depression levels, multiple academic and institutional studies consistently indicated that journalists fell within the high-risk category, largely due to the nature of their work. Experts noted that journalists were frequently exposed to traumatic events, tight deadlines, job insecurity, low pay and intense public scrutiny factors strongly associated with mental health disorders.
Studies conducted among journalists in Nairobi revealed high levels of occupational stress, burnout and depressive symptoms, particularly among young and freelance reporters. One academic study focusing on millennial journalists reported that a significant proportion of respondents exhibited symptoms consistent with moderate to severe depression, raising concern within the media industry.
Mental health researchers further observed that journalists who covered violent events, disasters, political unrest and crime scenes showed elevated levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression. These findings placed journalists in a similar risk bracket with other high-stress professions such as healthcare workers, teachers and law enforcement officers, who have also recorded high prevalence of mental health challenges in Kenya.
The Media Council of Kenya and mental health advocates previously acknowledged the growing mental health burden among journalists, calling for newsroom support systems, trauma counselling and policy reforms within media houses to safeguard journalists’ psychological well-being.
Although journalists were often grouped under the broader “professional and technical workers” category in national surveys, experts argued that evidence from sector-specific studies clearly showed that journalists faced above-average mental health risks, even if an exact numerical ranking was not officially published.
Mental health stakeholders continued to urge media organisations, government agencies and professional bodies to prioritise journalists’ mental wellness, noting that a healthy media workforce was critical to informed public discourse and democracy.
ENDS///…
