What’s Overlooked in Student Mental Health

South Africa: Student mental health has become one of the defining challenges facing universities worldwide. In South Africa, these concerns are often framed around reports which point to anxiety, burnout and academic pressure. With this comes the call for expanded student counselling and crisis services.

These concerns are important. Previous research has shown that university students in South Africa face mental health challenges shaped by financial strain, inequality, academic pressure and social stressors. Studies conducted during and after the COVID-19 pandemic have also shown how isolation and loss of support affected students’ mental health and wellbeing.

But mental health is not only the absence of distress or illness. It is also the presence of wellbeing: feeling connected to others, being satisfied with one’s life overall, and having the ability to manage everyday challenges and participate meaningfully in one’s community.

Our recent study suggests that this broader view matters. As psychologists and researchers, we wanted to better understand the factors that help university students flourish.

We surveyed 1,366 students at a public, in-contact South African university to examine what influences student mental health and wellbeing. We looked at structural factors, such as socioeconomic status, food security, financial strain and living conditions. We also examined academic pressures and psychosocial factors. These included life satisfaction, loneliness, sexual wellbeing, and health-related social support (help from friends, family and others to maintain a person’s physical and mental health).

The findings suggest that students are more likely to flourish when they experience both material security and psychosocial support, including greater life satisfaction, stronger social support for their health, and lower levels of loneliness.

Coping, but not all thriving

Most students in our study were not languishing, a state characterised by low levels of wellbeing and a sense of disconnection, stagnation, or lack of purpose. But many were also not flourishing, which refers to high levels of emotional, psychological and social wellbeing.

About two-thirds (66%) of participants were classified as having moderate mental health. Just over a quarter (28%) were flourishing, while around 6% were languishing.

This matters because students with moderate mental health may appear to be coping. They may attend class, complete assignments, and continue with their studies. But coping is not the same as thriving.

AUTHORS:
Jarred H Martin, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Pretoria
Jacomien Muller, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Pretoria
Jolize Joubert van Appel, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Pretoria
Sonja Nicolene Mostert, Senior Lecturer, University of Pretoria

- The Conversation

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