Relationship between mental health service utilization and employee work engagement in Narok County Government, Kenya

Jecinta Sereti Torome; Daniel Naikuni; Justus Wesonga

doi:10.51867/ajernet.7.4.127

Authors

Jecinta Sereti Torome Maasai Mara University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4982-6561
Daniel Naikuni Maasai Mara University, Kenya
Justus Wesonga Maasai Mara University, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7571-6604

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.7.4.127

Keywords:

Employee Work Engagement, Mental Health Support Programs, Service Utilization

Abstract

Mental health support programmes play an important role in promoting employees’ psychological well-being, reducing work-related stress, and strengthening work engagement in public institutions. This is particularly relevant in county governments, where employees operate within demanding service delivery environments. Despite growing recognition of workplace mental health support, many public institutions continue to experience challenges related to limited-service utilization, inconsistent treatment adherence and inadequate resource allocation. This study examined the relationship between mental health service utilization and employee work engagement in Narok County Government. The study was guided by the Andersen’s Behavioural Model of Health Services Use and utilized a cross-sectional correlational survey design. The target population comprised 5,545 employees drawn from twelve departments of Narok County Government. A sample of 149 respondents was selected using the stratified random sampling method out of which 138 usable questionnaires were returned. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. The findings showed that service utilization had a positive and statistically significant relationship with employee work engagement (β = 0.381, p < .001). The study concluded that mental health service utilization was significantly associated with employee work engagement in Narok County Government. The study recommended strengthening mental health awareness and improving accessibility of mental health services for enhanced employee engagement.

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