John Wanjiru

30/05/2026

How 1 in 2 Healthcare Workers Experience Depressive Symptoms in Kenya.

This was one of the major findings from a UZIMA Data Science study that adopted a longitudinal approach.

→ The study followed 514 healthcare workers for a period of 1 year.
𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆:
→ Workplace stress
→ Discrimination
→ Limited social support
→ Younger healthcare professionals

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒅:
→ Committed relationships, e.g., marriage and dating
→ Reliable social support

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: Rats with social support (other rats) experience lower stress responses and lower levels of glucocorticoids, e.g., cortisol.

💡 Higher levels of cortisol are linked to depression and anxiety disorders.

As a young professional interested in research, I do juxtapose myself with other research experts to learn and improve my repertoire in research and data analysis.

It was such an insightful engagement; it wasn't as boring as you might imagine.

→ Generational differences (between Gen X and Gen Z) also emerged.
→ Gen Z is more articulate about its concerns; "Working under pressure isn't part of the Gen Z CV 😅."

𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚: We should focus less on headcount and more on deliverables.

DM: I offer ghostwriting services for research-oriented writings. ✍️

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer

♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦share, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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28/05/2026

The training at Greenview Academy was a huge success 🎊🎊🥳

I conducted sessions on:
→ Mental health
→ Sexual and reproductive health

The message is simple: mental health and sexual health literacy are essential for everyone.

Let's ensure our children have:
→Knowledge
→Skills
→Support to lead meaningful lives.

It was fun, educative and empowering.

🤔 Boys don't know what pads are?

My mum told me it is a "women's bread" when I was tiny.

→This was engraved on my brain cells.

→ That pathway is still excitable 😅.

P.S: John Wanjiru is an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer
Protect A Girls Image Missionary Margaret Ruthari Simba

28/05/2026

28/05/2026

Nivishe Mental Health Fellowship graduation was a lit event 🎊🎊

Cohort 6 fellows graduated 🥳👏👏👏

Congratulations to all the fresh mental health advocates 👏

Mental health training is a pathway to improving mental health literacy within the population.

I was honored to be part of the mental health trainers.

Nivishe Foundation provides advocates with:
→ Knowledge
→ Skills
→ Support systems
→ A platform to excel in advocacy

💡Let’s keep advocating for mental health and mental well-being.

To the advocates: Go o yee and excel in mental health advocacy!

P.S:Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer

27/05/2026

How flooding addresses anxieties and phobias.

Flooding is a psychotherapeutic approach in behavioral therapy that involves exposing an individual directly to the object/situation/stimulus they fear, without gradual avoidance or escape.

→ The aim is to help the person realize that the feared situation is not actually dangerous, which gradually reduces anxiety through repeated exposure.

e.g children fear of hens may be placed in a house full of dead hens so they can confront the fear directly; eventually they stop fearing hens.

→ Although the experience may initially provoke strong anxiety, continuous exposure can weaken the fear response.

💡This is part of adaptive neuroplasticity that allows weakening of those particular pathways.

💡 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: The same neuroplasticity that allows for maladaptive changes also allows for adaptive changes.

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer

♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦share, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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25/05/2026

As a fresh student outside the realm of mythos, having “caved out,” the consciousness of logos is distressing.

I beg to return to the cave, but I can’t unsee the richness of the newfound awareness. The consciousness of this new consciousness has provided more questions than answers....

👇(link in the comments section)

presents 𝑶𝒏 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒔𝒎

📌 Injecting playful lexicon, humor, storytelling and simplicity to articulate the subject to 𝒚𝒐𝒖

PS: series is AI free

14/05/2026

How depression develops: The Anatomy of Depression. How is it that close to 300 million people have depression?

🤔 I wondered why some graduates become depressed after graduation while others do not.

→ I have come to conceptualize “graduate depression” as a form of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), similar to winter depression. It is a possible condition that has not received appropriate attention.

Causes and Risk Factors
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨 – “Vulnerability”
→ Genetic factors account for about 40% of depression risk in twin studies.
→ The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) may increase vulnerability to depression.

𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 –During depression:
𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙭
→ Responsible for “top-down control,” but in depression it struggles to regulate negative thinking (rumination), which is a key marker of depression.

𝘼𝙢𝙮𝙜𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙖 – “Threat detection system”
→ In depression, it becomes overactive, contributing to depressed mood and agitation.

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: The amygdala stores memories with emotional connotations, which can enhance its reactivity before you are even consciously aware of danger.

𝙃𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙨 – “Memory centre”
→ In depression, it may reduce in size and contribute to memory problems

𝘽𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 – Low levels of neurotransmitters:
→ Serotonin: linked to depressed mood (sadness, hopelessness and insomnia)
→ Dopamine: linked to anhedonia
→ Norepinephrine: linked to psychomotor agitation or retardation

𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨
→ Pregnancy, menopause, and chronic illness can trigger MDD symptoms.

𝙂𝙪𝙩–𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝘼𝙭𝙞𝙨
→ Chronic stress and poor health can increase inflammation, which is linked to depression.
𝙀𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩
→Social isolation, childhood trauma and neglect, PhD research, and work stress are some of the notable stressors.

𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩
1. 𝘾𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮 (CBT)
→ Challenges negative thinking patterns and rumination.
2. 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 (e.g., SSRIs – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
→ Help regulate neurotransmitter systems.
3. 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙎𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (rTMS) / 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮 (ECT)
→ Used in treatment of resistant depression.
4. 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮𝙡𝙚 𝙏𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨
→ Sleep (7–9 hours), social support & stress-coping mechanisms.

💡 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: The same neuroplasticity that allows for maladaptive changes also allows for adaptive changes.

Let’s Engage ⤵️

DM: Are you a mental health professional and need a ghostwriter? Why wait? I offer ghostwriting services for research-oriented writing. ✍️

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer
♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙eshare, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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12/05/2026

Is it possible there exists a higher form of consciousness, excluding consciousness achieved through the use of psychedelics?

While most of my other pieces have been written from a point of understanding, this one is my attempt to seek and embrace understanding. I have had struggles with the consciousness of my own mortality.....
👇
(link in the comments section)

✅ Exciting Articles is my weekly in*******se with you. Thank you for being part of my reader community!💚

presents 𝑶𝒏 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝑨𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒎, 𝑨𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒊𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒎

💬 let’s talk: ⤵️

📌 Injecting playful lexicon, humor, storytelling and simplicity to articulate the subject to 𝒚𝒐𝒖

PS: series is AI free

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer.

♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦share, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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11/05/2026

Mothers used 🩴 to communicate.

I use data to communicate.

08/05/2026

How to Manage Stress: Science-Based Tools
Short-term stress is amazing; we sometimes pay for it.

→ We pay for skydiving, rollercoasters, high intensity training classes and cold plunge.

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: Physical and psychological distress (our specialty) leads to maladaptive neuroplasticity.
→ Chronic stress is what damages the brain and body.

𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚:
1. 𝙎𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙉𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 – “Fight/flight/freeze/ fawn” and “tend-befriend responses”
→ Activates during danger or pressure
𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆:
→ Increases heart rate and blood pressure
→ Releases adrenaline and cortisol hormone
→ Heightens alertness and vigilance
2. 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙉𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 – “calming system”
𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒆:
→ Slows heart rate
→ Reduces cortisol levels
→ Restores emotional and physiological balance

3. 𝙃𝙋𝘼 𝘼𝙭𝙞𝙨 – “Stress regulation system”
→ Controls glucocorticoids e.g. cortisol
→ Connects the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands
𝑰𝒏 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔:
→ Cortisol remains elevated
𝑬𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕:
→ Emotional exhaustion, gastrointestinal ulcers, poor concentration and memory problems
→ Increased anxiety and depressive symptoms (maladaptive neuroplasticity)

𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆-𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙝
→ Two deep inhales, hold it in, and an elongated exhale: Reduces stress by activating the ("calming system") and reducing physiological arousal.

𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙭𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨
→Example:inhale for 4 sec, exhale for 8sec
→ Activates the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙭𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 (PMR)
→ Releases stored muscular tension associated with stress e,g you can tense the toes then release the tension

𝙈𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 & 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
→ Strengthens emotional regulation circuits
→ Reduces cortisol levels over time
→Consistent practice rewires stress responses through adaptive neuroplasticity.

𝙀𝙭𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙚
→ Metabolizes excess cortisol
→ Increases endorphins (“natural painkillers”) and improves mood

6. 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨
→ Reduce screen exposure 1–2 hours before sleep
→ Protects melatonin production and cortisol regulation
7. 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 & 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
→ Exposure to green spaces lowers stress hormones
→ Supportive relationships buffer stress responses

💡The same neuroplasticity that allows for maladaptive changes also allows for adaptive changes.

Let’s Engage ⤵️

DM: Are you a mental health professional and need a ghostwriter? Why wait? I offer ghostwriting services for research-oriented writing. ✍️

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer

♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦𝘴hare, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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04/05/2026

How to enhance learning and memory: Efficient tools.
How your brain encodes, strengthens and retains knowledge.

→ Learning is an active biological process driven by attention, neural change, and environmental factors such as stress.

🤔 Try this:

Say ABCD…Z, easy?
Now try: ZYXW…A, difficult, right?

→ You are attempting to activate unfamiliar neural pathways.
→ Forward alphabet = well-established neural pathway
→ Backward alphabet = weak or non-existent pathway

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: It is possible that you have a “grandmother neuron” (an A–Z neuron) that is stimulated at the sight of ABCD…

→ ABCDEF is an example of patterns of neuronal excitation built through repetition.

💡 The attempt to say it in reverse order is adaptive neuroplasticity in action.

𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒄𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔:
→ Encoding → Consolidation → Retrieval

𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: Attention is the ABC of learning.
→ What you don’t attend to, you don’t encode.

𝑵𝒆𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚

1. 𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮 – “Learning mechanism”
→ Neurons strengthen or weaken connections.
𝑰𝒏 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈:
→ Long-Term Potentiation (LTP): strengthens connections, enhancing memory.
→ Long-Term Depression (LTD): weakens unused ones
2. 𝙃𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙨 – “Memory center”
→ Encodes new information
3. 𝙎𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 – “Memory stabilization”
→ Memories move from the hippocampus → cortex
4. 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 – “System optimization”
→ The brain actively removes weak connections (pruning)

📌 How to learn better

1. 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
→ Attention drives encoding: deep focus activates learning circuits
2. 𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 (CATs)
→ Test yourself: what can I recall?
→ It is an attempt to reinforce the patterns of excitation involved in learning.
3. 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜
→ Break your learning session into sections, e.g., 30–60 minutes of study, followed by a 5–10 minute break.
📌A technique called the Pomodoro Technique is often used to train individuals with ADHD.

5. 𝘿𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜
→ Combine words and visuals. This is exactly how my posts are structured.
6. 𝙀𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣
→ Ask “Why?”
→ Connect new information to existing knowledge. Those familiar with Piaget can recall assimilation and accommodation, where you integrate new information into existing schemas or adjust them.

7. 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥

Let’s Engage ⤵️

DM: Are you a mental health professional and need a ghostwriter? Why wait? I offer ghostwriting services for research-oriented writing. ✍️

D.M: Am an adept mental health and wellness researcher, writer and trainer

♻️ 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘦share, 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 💡
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