Mental Health Report — A Nigerian University Case Study
Nigeria with her population of nearly 200 million has one of the highest rates of mental disorders on the continent. WHO reported Nigeria has the highest rate of depression in Africa. Over 7 million reported cases of clinical depression in 2017 yet many argue that many more cases may go unreported due to scarcity of data on the subject. Depression is the most common mental disorder affecting people of all ages globally. Clinical depression is associated with feelings of sadness, emptiness, social disconnection, and apathy towards life. According to studies in psychology, out of several mental challenges that can arouse suicidal thoughts, depression is the most complicit and by far the most common.
There was apprehension in the air at the Uniben Faculty of Arts, on 15th July 2019, everyone was sober this Sunday evening following news that a year three colleague identified as Ephraim Imadohor committed suicide by jumping down from the second floor of the Faculty of Arts building where he died on the spot. Investigations revealed that the deceased, may he rest in peace, was struggling with depression caused by his inability to cope with academic stress and had been advised to withdraw due to multiple carryovers and poor academic performance.
According to local newspaper reports, within the first half of 2019, no fewer than 26% of the total reported suicide cases were undergraduate students of various tertiary institutions around the country. Akpos (2020) reported that, barely a week after a 300-level student of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin allegedly committed suicide by ingesting a poisonous substance due to a failed business transaction, another male student at the Ogun State Institute of Technology allegedly ended his own life because of a romantic relationship gone sour.
Common methods of suicide among students are hanging, ingestion of harmful substances, and jumping from a lethal height.
In another report, Abubakar (2020) tells the story of Juba Phillips, a year one undergraduate student at Osun State University department of theatre art who died after purposefully ingesting a harmful substance believed to be insecticide after posting a series of suicidal notes on his WhatsApp page weeks before. He was eventually found dead in his hostel room, a bottle of insecticide lying beside him. This ugly scenario however could have been prevented.
In February 2021 Abdulahhi Bashir, a final year student at the Federal University Dutse (FUD), Jigawa State, committed suicide by ingesting a harmful insecticide known as sniper at his off-campus residence after having a strained romantic relationship with his girlfriend according to the report. Ingestion of harmful substances such as the infamous sniper insecticide is one of the most common methods of suicide attempt among students on campus. This may be because it can be easily accessed by those who end up using it for the wrong purpose.
That same month in another publication, Njoku 2021 reported the death of Daniel Nwafor, a year one student at Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, department of Chemistry who was found hanging in his lodge at Umuchima, Ihiagwa in Owerri West Council Area of Imo State. It was gathered through investigation that the deceased was facing some undisclosed health challenges and going through pains, then went on to take his own life after leaving behind a note to his parents.
A month later, in March 2021, Odu reported another gruesome sight at the University of Nigeria Nsukka where a 21-year-old student of the department of English and Literary studies committed suicide in May 2019, another year three student of Biochemistry department identified as Daniel Mba deliberately plunged himself from the third floor of a building, ending his own life after several other attempts at his life including hanging, and ingesting poisonous substances proved futile. After this sad event, investigations revealed that the victim had long battled symptoms of depression, isolation, financial problems, and academic stress having been caught cheating in an exam prior to this act.
Evidence shows a growing suicide rate in tertiary institutions across all regions of Nigeria. At university of Benin also known as Uniben, Edo state, the numbers of recently reported cases of suicide and suicide attempts is surging which calls for alarm. Akomolafe reported the death of Christabel, a year three student of the department of Medical Laboratory Science. She was found dead in her off-campus residence at Ekosodin after reportedly gulping a poisonous mix of the infamous sniper insecticide because of a failed love relationship. The use of sniper is seen as a convenient escape by most students who attempt suicide on campus because is relatively cheap, easily accessible, and is widely known to produce the desired outcome, sniper insecticide contains harmful chemicals such as Dimethyl 12 which causes harm to vital organs in the body.
I carried out this research to gain insight into perception of mental disorders among Nigeria’s most significant population and draw attention to a growing trend in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Several cases of suicide have been reported across tertiary institutions in all regions of Nigeria. According to local news publications, within the first half of 2019, no fewer than 26% of the total reported suicide cases were undergraduate students of various tertiary institutions around the country. This study was carried out at University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. I sought to answer the following questions:
- Is there a growing trend of suicide among students at University of Benin?
2. What are perceptions of students at University of Benin concerning suicide, depression, and other common mental disorders?
3. Is depression a complicit factor contributing to suicide risk among students at University of Benin?
4. Does failure to cope with academic stress increase risk of depression and suicidal behaviour among undergraduate students at University of Benin?
5. Does rising levels of poverty influence increasing rate of suicide among undergraduates at University of Benin?
6. In what ways can mental disorders worsening suicide risk be better managed at University of Benin?
The study is on risk factors of depression and suicide among undergraduate students in the study area.
The rising cases of suicide among young students sent to school by their parents calls for alarm as suicide remains one of the most pervasive public health challenges globally with nearly one million annual reported cases, every 40 seconds someone dies from suicide. The data for the study was gathered from the study location. 120 respondents were purposively selected from the departments that make up the faculty of social sciences namely, Sociology & Anthropology, Social Works, Political Science, Public Administration, and Geography.
Results of investigation into the perception of students about suicide, depression, and other related mental health challenges shows high awareness of mental health challenges. Most participants in this study acknowledge that they are aware of a rise in mental health challenges contributing to the rate of risky behaviours, few respondents however seemed to be ignorant that mental challenges are on the rise.
*Nigeria has one of the highest suicide rates in Africa and globally.
Rising cases of depression and suicide attempt among students on campus is alluded to several factors including drug abuse, economic challenges, inability to meet up to academic expectations amongst others. Interviewees frequently emphasise family problems, strained relationships and other social factors as likely causes of students falling into depression and subsequent risk of engaging in suicidal behaviours. Indisputably, there are several studies linking strained relationships as indicators of mental health risk.
On the rate of suicide, 31.7% perceived the reported suicide cases in University of Benin to be on average. While a larger number of respondents 35.8% countered that the suicide cases are high. Results confirm that more than half of the respondents 55.83% at the time of this study have either heard reports or are aware of at least one suicide victim on campus. Also, over 14% of respondents report that they personally know of more than one suicide victim on campus, and another section representing about five percent of the total participants report that suicide among undergraduates occurs very frequently on campus.
Most of respondents who took part in this study hold the view that the rising suicide cases are “preventable” and can be “better managed” in the learning environment. A recurring theme is the view that this deadly trend of suicide among students on campus can be reversed if the appropriate measures are put in place, some of the measures suggested to curb this menace on campus are; establishment of a functional guidance & counselling unit on campus, proper stress management, seminars and conferences for students at risk of mental challenges, family support, provision of financial aid to students, and emergency hotlines for students who may need someone to talk to.
For many students, inability to meet up to academic expectations coupled with pressure from family is proven to be a significant risk factor of falling into depression, and subsequent risk of engaging in suicidal behaviour. About half of participants report knowing at least one student who fell into depression or subsequently attempted suicide on campus due to issues bordering around inability to cope with academic stress, for example scoring poor grades in an examination. In addition, 17.5% of respondents reported that these cases of suicide attempt linked to poor grades, or inability to cope with academic stress are very rampant on campus.
That inability to cope with academic stressors is a complicit factor contributing to rising cases of suicide and suicide attempt among students on the campus is consistent with the findings of Oladele & Oladele (2018) and further studies conducted by Ajibola & Agunbiade (2020) and Nkwuda et al (2020) across other institutions in Nigeria. Students having difficulty coping with academic stressors are at significant risk of falling into depression and suicidal ideation.
Responses obtained from the quantitative research instrument reveals that apart from drug abuse and failure to meet up to academic expectations, poverty is a predictive factor of falling into depression, and subsequently attempting suicide, specifically among undergraduate students on campus. 3 in 4 participants maintain this position. A significant proportion of responses collected from students at University of Benin indicate that majority of students who participated in this study perceived rising poverty as the main cause of depression among students. This comes as no surprise considering its ripple effects on the academic endeavour of students can easily lead to loss of focus, we are talking inability to afford textbooks and other course materials, low self-esteem and other personal issues that could complicate the situation
63% report knowing at least one or more colleagues who fell into depression or attempted suicide due to economic challenges or being forced to truncate their academic endeavours because of inability to meet up to financial requirements. Interestingly, several students constituting 11.7% of the total respondents also reported that cases like this are very frequent among fellow students and occur on a regular basis.
Consistent with the findings of Ajibola & Agunbiade (2019) the findings of this study emphasise economic challenges as a significant factor which has worsened the trends of suicide among students in Nigerian campuses.
In assessing students’ perception regarding suicide, depression, and other mental health challenges it is important to highlight respondents who took part in this study hold the view that the rising suicide cases are preventable and can be better managed in the learning environment. A common view that this deadly trend of suicide among students on campus can be reversed if the appropriate measures are put in place bore recommendations to curb this menace on campus. Suggestions include establishment of a functional guidance & counselling unit on campus, proper stress management, seminars and conferences for students at risk of mental challenges, more parental/ family support, provision of financial aid to students, and emergency hotlines for students who may need someone to talk to.
However, there is low awareness of available counselling and stress management facilities available to all on campus. At the time of this study, many of the respondents, who are male and female undergraduate students at University of Benin are not aware of the facilities available for students who may need someone to confide in, a substantial number of respondents who took part in this study had stressed the need for a functional guidance and counselling unit, unaware that the institution has a fully functional unit dedicated to this purpose available to all on campus.
It is important for students to be aware of and take advantage of therapeutic facilities on campus. Untreated mental illness for example depression, which is by far the most prevalent is proven to be a significant contributing factor to the increasing cases of suicide being reported. My findings suggest that mental challenges such as anxiety and depression represent a significant causal factor which has aggravated the suicide trends among students at University of Benin, especially in a post-covid world. Data shows that a substantial number of reported cases of completed suicides and suicide attempt on campus have been associated with these challenges.
Untreated mental illness for example depression, which is by far the most prevalent contributes to the increasing cases of suicide being reported.
65.83% of respondents report that mental challenges predominantly Depression is a major contributor to these rising suicide cases. While 14.17% of respondents are unsure if any of the reported suicide cases are linked to depression, another section of respondents, 20% of respondents disagreed with this position
To refine these reports respondents were queried on whether they knew of any suicide cases on campus linked to mental health challenge
26.6% of respondents report that they come across these cases very often. While another section of respondents representing 38.4% hold that they are not aware of any cases of suicide attempt on campus linked to depression, a significant number of respondents 32.5% also indicated that they knew/ heard of at least one reported case of suicide linked to depression, on the other hand 2.5% of total respondents, maintain that they are aware of more than one case of suicide attempt on campus linked to depression.
Summary of findings
This study draws attention to growing rate of mental disorders and risky behaviour in Nigerian higher institutions, particularly among undergraduate students at University of Benin. Nigeria is reported by the World Health Organisation to have one of the highest incidences of mental health challenges for example Depression on the continent, investigation shows very high awareness of these mental health challenges among participants in this study. Most of the participants hold undesirable views toward suicide and other mental challenges. While many students expressed optimism that this deadly trend can be reversed if the right support facilities are in place, there is low awareness of the available support facilities available to all on campus, and many students still do not take advantage of these facilities because of ignorance or misinformation that these facilities are not available.
Among the most often cited factors that increase the risk of mental disorders, this study emphasises the contribution of underlying factors such as Depression, Academic stress, and Economic challenges to the spate of suicide cases reported specifically among undergraduate students at University of Benin. The underlying factors are important in guiding prevention efforts. The existence of these underlying factors can increase the chances of a student falling into depression and subsequent risk of attempting suicide because of increased capability to carry out the act.
These findings draw attention to the growing trends of suicide among University of Benin students, undoubtedly, these results are consistent with earlier reports which emphasised the growing rate of suicide among undergraduate at Nigerian institutions of higher learning, in line with the findings of Makinde, Oluwayemi, Adegbite et al, 2019; Okoedion & Okolie (2019).
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