By Daniëlle Gerber
Trigger warning: mention of mental well-being and suicide.
The two recent suicide cases on the Stellenbosch University campus have left many people asking themselves what the cause of the mental health epidemic on campus could be. The informal Stellenbosch University-focused Instagram page, @SUJustKidding, proceeded to address mental well-being on Monday, 15 August, with their interactive polls cementing the importance and omnipresence of this topic for students.
There is no ambiguity about the increased pressures of daily life as we transition into a post-pandemic time. This can be due to the increased economic and financial stress or the difficulty transitioning back to ‘normal life’.
Vanishaa Gordhan from SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) explains, in McCain and Evans[i], that university students are more susceptible due to the overwhelming transition from high school to university and the increased responsibility that it entails. A large-scale study (29 000 student participants), conducted by Universities South Africa (USAf), found that 20% of students struggle with poor mental health.
Over 75% of participants within that twenty percent contributed academic challenges to their poor mental health. Additionally, over 73% said that financial struggles contributed significantly to their poor mental health. Furthermore, over 50% of participants stated that the health difficulties faced by their loved ones influenced their mental health; also, nearly 45% of participants said that their own physical health impacts their mental well-being.
These statistics can all be linked to the pandemic by looking at changing work environments, financial and economic instability due to increased unemployment, and the impact of coronavirus on physical health. The University of Cape Town’s[ii] reflection on the pandemic states that “isolation, uncertainty, economic strain, bereavement, and loss have resulted in heightened anxiety, particularly for school-going young South Africans”.
While the pandemic seems to have passed in terms of the spread of the virus, the repercussions and negative impacts are still felt across the country. On a national scale, the South African population, in general, has faced an increased risk of suicide since the pandemic. SADAG, in Motsoari’s article about South Africa’s suicide crisis[iii], reports that daily helpline calls have nearly quadrupled – from around 600 calls per day to 2 200 in September 2021.
This exploration of facts serves to validate the lived experiences of South Africans who may struggle with mental health and explains the mental health epidemic on the Stellenbosch University campus. In part two, a list of free resources will be shared that could offer support – please note that these are not meant to substitute professional help.
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[i] Nicole McCain and Jenni Evans. They need ‘extra support’: University students, staff’s mental health under spotlight after suicides. [Online: News24]
[ii] Patti Silbert and Tembeka Mzozoyana. Youth in the firing line of COVID-19 mental health pandemic. [Online: University of Cape Town]
[iii] Charlotte Motsoari. Suicide crisis soars in South Africa [Online: Mail & Guardian]
