Concerns about mental health and wellbeing are on the rise among university students globally. Students may experience stress during their stay at university due to the stressful situations of separating from their families and living in new accommodations. As a result, many students who struggle to manage their stress may eventually become victims of mental health issues.However, mental health has historically received little attention in Bangladesh and other similar nations.
Students at universities frequently experience elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, underscoring the need of receiving focused mental health treatment. Some of the mental stress issues faced by the university students of Bangladesh are discussed here.
A recent study shows that 21 per cent young people are suffering from severe depression; another 25 per cent were suffering from moderate to severe depression, while 26 per cent were showing symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
It is also observed that the main causes of mental health issues included session jams, challenges with studying, frustration over grades, and unusual curriculum. Moreover, in the post-pandemic environment, two thirds of university students have been dealing with mental health concerns because of intense academic pressure after a long gap during Covid19 closures.
Some students reported their daily struggle with issues such as interpersonal relationships and financial concerns affect their mental condition during university life.
A number of female students experience racism and sexist harassment at their institutions, both of which had an adverse effect on their mental health. However, female students in Bangladesh are often more aware of mental health concerns. On the contrary male students are more likely to avoid discussing or dealing with it.
Because society teaches them to, they strive to repress their feelings and merely maintain their strength. Male students eventually suffer from taking on too much stress and failing to handle the resulting mental health problems as they age. So, following anxiety and depression, suicidal tendency among students has also grown up.The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) states that suicide rates are startlingly high and unmistakably indicate declining mental health. According to a recent Aachal Foundation poll, 513 students nationwide at the school, college, and university levels committed suicide in 2023.
After analysing the causes of suicide, it was determined that 165 students, or more than 32% of the total, committed themselves in Bangladesh because of their frustration, which was primarily stemmed from rage.
Regardless of whether they attend public or private institutions, a large number of students suffer from very low self-esteem and are constantly critical of themselves. A portion of them believe that their performance falls short of what their classmates, instructors, family, and society expect of them.
Furthermore, students are now under even more pressure to go after socially acceptable notions of success rather than following their passions because of the harsh realities of social criticism. The impact of this on the mental health of the students has not yet been evaluated.Furthermore, there is growing tension that students’ mental illnesses may be exacerbated by their usage of social media. While students’ usage of the internet has increased dramatically, which has undoubtedly helped them with their studies and research, excessive use of the internet has led to social, psychological, and behavioural disorders.
Many students may suffer from the “TikTok effect” which refers to the fact that many pupils struggle to concentrate on studies since they only see 20-second videos in reels and shorts. It is also important to note that drug addiction among the university students can contribute to their mental health issues.
Meanwhile, it is mentionable here that some of the UK universities are well-reputed for the proper management of the mental health of their national and international students. The public and private universities in Bangladesh can follow their examples and take appropriate initiatives to extend mental health supports to their students.
Bangladesh can take inspiration from the concept of ‘Healthy University’ (HU) of the UK which aspires to create a learning environment and organizational culture to help students reach their full potential and improve the communities’ well-being, and sustainability.
As per HU UK, there exist numerous advantages to being a HU, such as increased student retention, experience, and academic achievement; decreased staff absenteeism; enhanced public image and reputation providing a competitive edge; and expanded collaboration and partnerships, especially in the health sector. HU facilitates social and personal development; support being a ‘responsible global citizen’.Finally, universities may promote mental health support by giving access to physical health resources like exercise centres, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, and dietary guidance because physical and mental health are strongly related. They may also support students’ mental health and stress management by promoting self-care activities like yoga, mindfulness and meditation.
Backing Up Mental Health of University Students (daily-sun.com)
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