Mental health in Nigeria: Mental health promotion among university students

Abstract

Background: There is a growing global recognition of the importance of promoting mental health and preventing mental illnesses, particularly regarding the “common mental disorders” of depression and anxiety, which have not shown any significant decrease in prevalence in recent times. Objectives: This study, therefore, aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of mental health promotion among university students in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on students at a university in southeastern Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select 370 respondents by balloting. Data were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to analyze the data. Results: The majority of the students (97.3%) reported that mental health promotion was not emphasized enough in their medical curriculum, and 74.3% were unaware of support groups related to mental health promotion in school. Most (94.9%) expressed a willingness to utilize mental health promotion resources if made readily accessible. Individual factors, health system factors, and place of residence were identified to affect access to mental health promotion resources. Conclusion: By implementing targeted interventions and educational programs, we can effectively increase awareness and engagement among individuals who may have previously been overlooked. This, in turn, will lead to improved access to resources and support, ultimately benefiting the overall mental well-being of society as a whole.

Keywords

• health promotion
• kap of mental health promotion
• mental health
• mental health promotion
• nigeria