A national survey launched recently will aim to establish the current levels of psychological distress amongst South African undergraduate students. This was according to prof Jason Bantjes, principal investigator of the national student survey, from the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University (SU).
The national survey, launched on 9 April, was initiated by Universities South Africa (USAf).
“This survey is an extension of an existing research project which was initiated in 2015 to investigate the mental health of university students at Stellenbosch University [SU] and the University of Cape Town [UCT],” said prof Christine Lochner, co-investigator on the study, from the Department of Psychiatry at SU.
According to Lochner, the survey also forms part of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative.
“Crucially, the survey will provide information about students’ resilience, access to treatment, as well as their preferences for and attitudes towards psychosocial services and interventions,” said Bantjes in a recent press release.
The data received from the survey would also measure exposure to trauma, food insecurity and gender-based violence on university campuses, he said.
According to Bantjes, the data from the survey is needed to identify mental health priorities, plan appropriate services, and target interventions to reach students who are most at risk.
A national survey of student mental health was launched to assess South African undergraduate students’ mental health and support needs, on 9 April. PHOTO: Unsplash/Miguel Henriques
Access to treatment
The rates of suicidal behaviour are high among students, however only about 25% of students with psychological problems receive treatment, said Bantjes.
There are a number of factors contributing to this, according to Charl Davids, the deputy director at SU’s Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD).
“Low rates of treatment can partly be due to a lack of access to services. This [limited] access at times, is because of the student to professional (psychologists, social workers, counsellors) ratio,” said Davids.
Undergraduate students are also often strongly disinclined to receive treatment from a mental health professional, and prefer to seek psychosocial support in other ways, said Davids.
The data collected from the survey will assist in the design and implementation of more appropriate mental health strategies needed to promote student wellness. PHOTO: Stellenbosch University.
According to Bantjes, all 26 public universities in South Africa have been invited to participate in the study.
Invitations have been sent via email to undergraduate students’ university email addresses and the survey is available on a zero-rated platform, said Bantjes.
The survey will be open until the researchers get enough data to make meaningful recommendations, Bantjies said. This would probably take another five weeks, he said.