Mental Health week

Loneliness

Feeling lonely can also have a negative impact on your mental health, especially if these feelings have lasted a long time. You may choose to be alone and live happily without much contact with other people, while others may find this a lonely experience or you may have lots of social contact, or be in a relationship or part of a family, and still feel lonely – especially if you don't feel understood or cared for by the people around you.
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In Kibra a majority of the population are poor and hence lonely due to their status in the society. This month we encourage the people of Kibra to watch out to the following circumstances that make them more vulnerable to loneliness. For example, if you:

• have no friends or family
• are estranged from your family
• are a single parent or care for someone else – you may find it hard to maintain a social life
• belong to minority groups and live in an area without others from a similar background
• are excluded from social activities due to mobility problems or a shortage of money
• experience discrimination and stigma because of a disability or long-term health problem, including mental health problems
• experience discrimination and stigma because of your gender, race or sexual orientation
• have experienced sexual or physical abuse – you may find it harder to form close relationships with other people.

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