Suicides among students raise concern over mental health

Suicide among tertiary students has raised concerns about a mental health crisis that is tearing through tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe where classes are set to start early in February 2022.

The global COVID-19 health crisis has affected the mental health of students in higher education systems across the world, including Africa, with a reported rise in anxiety and depression, according to an article published on 4 May 2021 in The Conversation.

Takudzwa Makayi, a student at the Harare Institute of Technology, told University World News that understanding what causes these suicide cases should be the first step.

“Depression and mental health issues are very real. They are happening to most of us. I know many who are suffering from depression. We should find the root cause. Does it have to do with school pressure? And then, after investigating and finding the root cause, we should proffer solutions and maybe come up with a campaign to help address the issue.”

Makayi said institutions must provide counselling to every student or maybe even include counselling as a module in every degree programme so that students are educated.

In the last few months of 2021, one student at the Harare Polytechnic College and two at the Great Zimbabwe University committed suicide. Earlier in the same year, two students at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) took their own lives. Relationship problems reportedly played a role in some of the incidents.

Government is responding

The suicides have prompted the ministry of health and childcare to host conferences, educational seminars and public lectures.

While speaking to the media in November 2021, Donald Mujiri, the ministry’s spokesperson, said that training courses on suicide and depression awareness will be integrated into curricula at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.

The government also says that it has initiated plans to develop a national suicide hotline but has not specified when this will become operational.

Speaking to University World News, NUST Students Representative Council (SRC) spokesperson Desire Kateyera urged students to speak out if they have problems.

“The challenge with mental illness is that it is usually invisible. Students must make sure that they share what could be affecting their mental health with someone. I urge students to find someone to talk to when they have challenges,” she said.

“Counselling services are available at student affairs. We urge students to make use of these services and save their precious lives,” Kateyera added.

NUST director for communication and marketing, Thabani Mpofu, echoed Kateyera’s sentiments and assured students that the counselling and advisory services at the institution uphold confidentiality.

“As a university, we offer counselling services through the student counselling and advisory services located at the division of student affairs. The office, which is manned by full-time professional counsellors, offers free and confidential interventions to all students.

“These vary from individual counselling sessions and group counselling sessions for students with shared interests, to workshops for common campus-life challenges such as substance abuse, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, depression and anxiety management,” Mpofu said in a statement released to students in the aftermath of the two suicides at the institution.

Students at NUST have also begun working on a student-led initiative to curb the problem by forming Student Mental Health Zimbabwe, a non-profit organisation with the sole aim of promoting mental wellness among students in higher and tertiary education institutions in Zimbabwe.

Substance abuse contributes

Newly elected Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (ZINASU) international relations secretary Memory Makasi told University World News that issues related to substance abuse are a major cause of mental illness and universities and colleges should do more to safeguard the mental well-being of students.

“Sound mental health and social well-being are important factors in enabling people to live useful lives and to make sober decisions as well as to actively contribute to community living. In dealing with mental health issues or challenges it is of great significance to tackle the cause.”

Makasi said that, in most institutions, drug abuse has become rampant and this has exacerbated mental disorders.

Research from the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drugs Network shows that 60% of admissions into mental health institutions are due to substance abuse, and 80% of these admissions are students from tertiary institutions.

To quell the drug scourge in institutions, Makasi urged administrative authorities in every institution “to map concrete settings that are meant to facilitate an institutional rehabilitation centre and mental health service delivery.

“This will enable those exhibiting psychotic or violent behaviour to be urgently attended to.”

Makasi also said that suicidal ideation is one of the heterogeneous phenomena with globally affirmed effects on students’ mental well-being. “I urge all institutions to adopt practical modules such as social work as core modules for every student, regardless of their programmes.

“This will promote information dissemination on MHI (mental health inventory). Institutions should also work hand in hand with community service organisations to advocate and educate students about mental health.”

Other students who spoke to University World News believe that many students suffering from mental health conditions do so in silence.

“A platform where mental health issues are discussed is needed, as it can help prevent the situation from deteriorating further,” Mitchell Chimbga, a first-year social sciences student at the University of Zimbabwe, said.

Concern over growing problem

Speaking to ZBC News in October 2021, Brighton Mufakwadziya, a mental health occupational therapist at the ministry of health and childcare, expressed concern over the increasing number of suicide cases among tertiary students.

“There is a lot of anxiety currently that is likely to cause a surge in cases. We are embarking on a mass public awareness campaign on mental health issues and are also working on a help centre that will work as a hotline for those suffering from mental health issues and suicidal thoughts,” Mufakwadziya said.

In an earlier article, Michael Gwarisa, a health expert and editor-in-chief of The HealthTimes, wrote that the spike of suicide cases, especially among male tertiary students, is a cause for concern.

“Due to the African upbringing and culture, mental health issues are frowned upon … The situation gets worse in men, or males, because society expects them to toughen up, show a bold face, and bottle it all in, even if they are going through the most turbulent of times. Mental health in tertiary institutions has been neglected for a while and, of late, the picture shows that more male than female students are committing suicide,” Gwarisa wrote on 13 September 2021.

Men do not speak up

He believes that the fact that men and boys find it difficult to speak about their problems or seek help, contributes to the higher number of suicide cases recorded among male students.

“Unlike road accidents that happen instantly, for example, suicide is not something that happens out of the blue. Many times, the symptoms are there, but rarely do we pay attention to them. We need to start prioritising mental health issues,” Gwarisa added.

Suicide cases in Zimbabwe, in general, seem to be on the rise, too, judging by suicide numbers among teachers and minors.

According to the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), as many as 380 teachers have committed suicide in the country from 2008-21. Zimbabwe has 136,000 schoolteachers teaching 4.6 million students.

Based on independent statistics from the PTUZ, the country loses approximately 30 teachers and six students to suicides each year.

The latest available World Health Organization data, reported on in 2019, shows that 14 people out of 100,000 in the population in Zimbabwe die due to suicide.