Assessment of mental wellness program implementation and healthcare provider well-being at Aga Khan University Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Healthcare providers in private hospitals across sub-Saharan Africa face high occupational demands, yet the implementation and effectiveness of institutional mental wellness programmes in this context remain poorly documented. This study assessed the implementation of mental wellness programmes (MWPs) and their relationship with healthcare provider (HCP) well-being at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Nairobi, Kenya. Grounded in the Job Demands– Resources (JD-R) model and Organisational Support Theory (OST), the study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design with a final valid sample of 328 healthcare providers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and structural equation modelling. Awareness of MWPs was high (87.2%) and overall participation was substantial (69.3%), though significant cadre-based disparities were identified, with nursing staff and administrative personnel reporting the lowest participation rates. Organisational support for MWPs was strongly associated with provider well-being, and MWP implementation was a significant predictor of HCP well-being. A notable paradox was observed: high emotional exhaustion coexisted with high job satisfaction and positive overall well-being, reflecting an engaged but increasingly depleted workforce. Workload and shift patterns were significant independent predictors of well-being but did not significantly moderate the MWP–well-being relationship, suggesting that programme benefits were consistent across levels of occupational demand. The findings support the applicability of the JD-R model and OST in a sub- Saharan African private hospital context. The study recommends that private hospitals institutionalise mental wellness frameworks as a core human-resource strategy, develop cadre-specific outreach programmes, establish formal emotional exhaustion monitoring protocols, and conduct workload and shift reviews to address high occupational demand burdens alongside wellness programme investments.

Keywords: mental wellness programmes, healthcare providers, perceived organisational support, job demands–resources model, PLS-SEM, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, private hospitals, Kenya