Understanding mental health among university students in Kenya: what role do family support and age play?

The findings highlight the urgent need for age-sensitive, student-centered mental health interventions in Kenyan universities. Specifically, universities should implement targeted support programs for first-year and final-year students who face unique mental health risks due to transitional and graduation-related stressors. Additionally, integrating family engagement initiatives to strengthen family support structures can serve as a protective factor against mental health challenges. Policies aimed at expanding access to mental health insurance and services should also be prioritized. Given the use of non-probabilistic sampling, findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research should investigate longitudinal trends to establish causal relationships and inform the development of evidence-based policies.