Anxiety, depression sweeping campuses
SOCIO-ECONOMIC woes such as rape, bullying and chaotic protests on South African higher education campuses could make students vulnerable to anxiety and depression – which could lead to suicide.
This is in tandem with the depression that is usually attendant with the exam stress and pressure to fit in at tertiary institutions that also, potentially, leads to suicide.
All of this is contained in a 2015 study conducted by Stellenbosch University among 1 337 students from a myriad backgrounds, which found that as many as 12% of respondents experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 15% reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.
What highlights this anomaly is the difficulties to access mental health care.
Most academic institutions offer professional counselling services for students but these are often oversubscribed due to the scourge of anxiety and depression on campuses.
Shouqat Mugjenker, mental health portfolio manager at Pharma Dynamics, explained how 24.5% of respondents in the survey reported some form of suicidal ideation two weeks before being interviewed.
The 24.5% with suicidal thoughts was much higher than the 9.1% prevalence in the rest of the country, he said.
“Suicidal is when a person has thought about killing him or herself, but does not include the final act of following through on these thoughts.
“Being a student involves a lot of change and uncertainty as students transition from adolescents to adulthood,” he said.
Last month, a female student at the University of the Witwatersrand committed suicide by jumping from the sixth floor of a Braamfontein, Joburg, building – allegedly because she was being bullied.
“Some South African students also fear for their own personal safety on campus, which could further exacerbate matters and make them more anxious – often a precursor for depression,” Mugjenker said.
He added that students deal with these issues prior to the full formation of their brains, saying the part of the brain that helps with reason and control impulses develops fully only by the age of 25.
“As a result, teenagers and young adults process information differently since they use the amygdala – the emotional part of the brain – to analyse information.
“That is why you will find that younger people are less risk-averse and give in to peer pressure more so than older adults,” Mugjenker said.
Young adults could be led to “pleasure-inducing substances” like drugs and alcohol – potentially leading to dependence and depression, he said.
Mugjenker outlined signs that could indicate depression, which included:
Difficulties to access mental health care
A loss of interest in activities that one used to enjoy.
Being less sociable, withdrawing from one’s peers and spending more time alone.
Lack of energy or increased fatigue.
Poor concentration and inattentiveness while in class or social situations.
Erosion of self-esteem and increased feelings of hopelessness.
Finding it difficult to fall asleep or waking up in the early morning hours.
Overindulging in alcohol as a possible escape or to numb the pain of loneliness. Low sex drive. Significant weight loss or gain.
Suicidal thoughts or attempts.