SA students at greater risk of depression and anxiety
The prevalence of depression and anxiety in South African students higher than the prevalence reported among college students in the US and Turkey respectively.
A RECENT study has revealed that South African students are at a greater risk of depression and anxiety due to a barrage of socio-economic challenges they face.
Apart from exam stress and the pressure to perform and fit in, they also face potential rape, victimisation and destructive protests on campus that could make them more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
Protests seem to have become the norm at tertiary institutions across the country. The violent protests that erupted at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) saw several students arrested, lecture rooms torched and classes suspended.
Read also: Over 940 000 working days lost to protests
A 2015 study that was conducted by Stellenbosch University among 1 337 students of varying backgrounds found that 12 per cent of university students experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 15 per cent reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.
Shouqat Mugjenker, Mental Health Portfolio Manager at Pharma Dynamics points out that nearly a quarter of students that participated in the survey reported some form of suicidal ideation two weeks prior to being interviewed.
“This is higher than the 9.1 per cent prevalence that is reported for the general South African population and higher than the 6.3 per cent and 11.4 per cent prevalence reported among college students in the US and Turkey respectively.
“Being a student involves a lot of change and uncertainty as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. The added stress to perform in a highly demanding environment, while developing a capacity for intimate relationships and trying to establish their own identity, often makes them more prone to depression.
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“Some students also fear for their own personal safety on campus, which further exacerbates matters and make them more anxious,” said Mugjenker.
Mugjenker said even though it’s difficult to pinpoint depression in someone, there are some tell-tale signs to look out for in young adults.
“A loss of interest in activities that they used to enjoy, being less sociable, withdrawing from their peers and spending more time alone, overindulging in alcohol as a possible escape or to numb the pain of loneliness and a low sex drive are some of the tell-tale signs that someone may be experiencing depression,” he added.
Mugjeker said students who suffer from ill mental health and don’t receive the required treatment are also at greater risk of academic failure and are more likely to drop out of university.
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