How OAU Students Tackle Mental Health Challenges Amid Academic Pressure

 Ojo Mercy

Mental health is a critical concern among students, who pressures from academic work and personal challenges.

Mental health is the state of mind and the overall well-being of a person. It encompasses our emotions, psychological, and social status. The need to maintain one's mental health is the ability to cope with stress, maintain relationships, and manage academic, social, and daily activities. Common health concerns include stress, anxiety, and depression. Mental health is a prevalent issue among students on campus, who deal with a lot of pressure from academic work, coupled with growing concerns about how to survive life generally.

Students are expressing growing concerns related to their mental health, including the challenges they face and how they cope. "I can't say my mental health is really in a good state right now. Having to juggle different discourses and balancing non-academic activities to sustain myself is a whole lot that seems to be affecting me lately," said Agnes, a 300-level student. "Well, I took breaks sometimes. I remembered the day I got so overwhelmed and so sick that I stayed back at home. Sometimes, I watch movies to ease the tension before going through the pages of my books and the ever-consistent lectures."

"The one time that I was mentally disturbed was when one of my results was released and I had a D," said a female final-year student. To Lateefat, her mental state has improved. "Unlike when I was still struggling to balance work and school in my part 2, now—although there’s no perfect balance—I found a little way for it not to end up being too overwhelming."

"The school and thinking of what to do financially gives me stress and anxiety," Ayomide, a female OAU student added. When asked what initiative or program should be implemented to promote mental well-being for students, Marvelous noted that there should be a social group in each department where students can meet intentional classmates and ask questions. "I think it will be easier to get help—a social club where intellectual things are done, something that will bring everyone together."

"I feel people just need to be assisted to stay focused and stay on track," Lateefat said. "Maybe an initiative to track progress in people’s lives—a program that helps people break down tasks into milestones would be more efficient. I think people are willing to sign up for programs that would improve their productivity." Lateefat emphasized that time management is the greatest key to having a stable mind and mental health by prioritizing the most important things and using her leisure wisely.

Ayobami, a final-year student at OAU, pointed out the need for a system where every faculty can check up on their students regularly. "For example, if every faculty has a department with a counselor or mental health expert and enough publicity to ensure that every student is aware of that system, it will go a long way in curbing mental health challenges." She said.

Students urge the university to take action on mental health issues by creating social groups in each department for peer support and open discussions. They also want counseling services available in every faculty so that help is easy to access.