There’s a conversation echoing quietly through the boardrooms, coffee lounges, and Zoom calls of Kenya’s corporate sector. It’s not about market share or quarterly results. It’s about exhaustion. Silent, creeping, and often dismissed as a personal weakness burnout has become Kenya’s corporate epidemic.

We are witnessing an alarming rise in professionals who are mentally drained, emotionally detached, and physically depleted. And while the economic graphs may look stable, the emotional pulse of our workforce is not.

Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) observes that there has been a 13 per cent rise in mental health conditions and substance use disorders in the last decade, with 1 in every 8 people estimated to have been living with a mental health condition as of 2019. 

In the Kenyan context, the report of the Taskforce on Mental Health of 2023 pointed out that mental illness such as; depression and suicide, substance use disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses accounts for 13 per cent of the entire disease burden in Kenya.

Regarding mental health in the workplace, it is estimated that 15 per cent of the global working population has at least one mental health condition. 

This implies that about 3.7 million of the 24.9 million workforces in Kenya might be living with a mental health condition. 

The Ministry of Health’s Mental Health Investment Case 2021 puts the burden of mental health conditions at 62.2 billion annually (0.6 of the GDP) due to loss of productivity capacities. The report further reveal that the investment required for selected clinical packages and population-based preventive interventions over a 10-year period is Sh81.7 billion. 

The World Health Organization defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It manifests in three key dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (cynicism), and reduced professional efficacy.

In Kenya, this reality is more prevalent than we openly admit. According to the Africa Mental Health Foundation, over 75 per cent of Kenyans have reported workplace stress, with a significant number citing burnout-level fatigue.

 A 2023 survey by Corporate Staffing Services found that 68 per cent of professionals in Kenya experienced burnout symptoms particularly among middle and senior management.

 While some may treat burnout as a personal problem, its impact on organizational health is profound. Absenteeism, presenteeism (showing up but not performing), high turnover, disengaged teams, and poor decision-making are just a few visible symptoms. 

In 2021, the estimated economic burden of mental health conditions on the Kenyan economy was Sh62.2 billion, or 0.6 per cent of the GDP, with lost productivity due to premature mortality, absenteeism, and presenteeism accounting for the largest share, at Sh56.6 billion. 

According to a report by African Journal of Emerging Issues dubbed mental health and employees’ performance in Kenya, productivity losses due to mental health problems amount to around $1 trillion annually globally.

The hidden costs, however, are even greater strained families, broken identities, and in some tragic cases, total mental breakdown.

According to the report, 75 per cent of employees reported moderate stress due to factors like long hours, with 48 per cent experiencing burnout and 53 per cent showing depressive symptoms, all negatively affecting job performance. 

Well-being programs, including counselling and stress management, improved performance by 66 per cent among participants, underscoring the need for accessible and comprehensive support to address mental health issues in healthcare.

The insurance sector in Kenya can play a crucial role in addressing mental health issues by incorporating mental health coverage into policies, offering wellness programs, and collaborating with healthcare providers to improve access to affordable and quality mental healthcare. 

Yet, the inclusion of inbuilt mental health cover riders in life insurance policies is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic opportunity for insurers to lead the way in addressing one of Kenya's most pressing public health challenges.

Additionally, different health players must urgently come together to provide health solutions that allow people to prevent, treat and manage mental illness. The majority of Kenyans make out-of-pocket payments to meet their healthcare expenses. 

In Kenya, healthcare spending pushes almost a million people into poverty every year. Two out of every five Kenyans are unable to access healthcare when they need it because they cannot afford it.

Collaboration between the public and private sectors will bridge the gaps in healthcare access. Healthcare stakeholders must prioritize the development of practical and affordable solutions that enable everyone to have access to quality mental healthcare.

For instance, Jubilee Insurance has already designed programs that provide coverage for mental health services. 

We recently collaborated with Chiromo Hospital Group to launch a comprehensive mental wellness programme that promotes both a preventative and curative approach to wellness.

Such partnerships between underwriters and healthcare providers aid the development and implementation of affordable mental wellness solutions that deliver value-based care and outcomes.

As employers, business leaders, and insurers, we cannot continue to whisper about mental health. We must speak about it with the same seriousness we reserve for financial audits and strategy sessions. Because when people break down, businesses follow.

The writer, Njeri Jomo, is the CEO and principal officer, Jubilee Health Insurance