SANJANA (pseudonym) is a third-year student at one of the most renowned universities of Bangladesh where she finds herself constantly struggling with rigorous routines, weekly tests and assignments, and sometimes hefty deadlines. Situations in her family, concerning her parents鈥� relationship, worsen her mental condition in seemingly irreparable manners. While her university does offer counselling service to students going through rough times, it is often difficult to get an appointment, which does not help Sanjana鈥檚 debilitating mental health in any shape or form.
Unfortunately, this is the story of millions of young students across the world. Even though there has been a positive paradigm shift in the manner the concept of mental health is perceived by the world, when it comes to third world countries like Bangladesh, it is still considered a taboo. Especially in the post-pandemic period, there has been a worrying trend of Bangladesh鈥檚 young generation becoming more vulnerable to various mental health issues. According to a survey titled 鈥楾he Impact of Academic Pressure on Mental Health and the Suicidal Propensity of University Students鈥� published by the youth-based social organization Aachol Foundation in 2022, 75.85 per cent of university-level students in Bangladesh like Sanjana are facing different mental health issues, largely because of session jams due to lengthy academic class suspension, indifference towards studying, frustration due to academic results, failure in understanding lectures, etc. The survey also revealed that 532 students committed suicide due to different mental health issues in 2022. The number was 513 in 2023 and 310 in 2024.
Moreover, upon graduating from high school and entering university, many students suffer from a host of issues such as academic stress, peer pressure, interpersonal relationships, lack of time management, sleeping disorders, indiscriminate use of social media, unhygienic eating habits, dormitory life, and so on. The academic environment in many universities can also come with surprises, especially to freshers, who may not have the necessary psychological resilience to cope with such sudden changes and the resultant stressful situations. Students in their early years often find the transition from high school to university life intimidating and emotionally exhausting. As a consequence, many students may fall victim to clinical depression, anxiety, self-harm and other similar mental illnesses. Not just that, a number of students, especially those nearing graduation, are found worried about their employment as they remain stuck in programmes that lack decent job prospects.
According to various research findings, university students all over the world suffer from different levels of psychological morbidity, including depression and anxiety. In Australia, for example, studies found a marginal connection between students鈥� poor mental health and their test performance and subsequent dropout. More than 44 per cent international graduate students said that they had faced a psychological or stress-related problem, leading to negative impacts on their overall well-being and academic performance.
According to a nationwide study conducted by Syed Saad Andaleeb with students from both public and private universities in 2023, following compelling data were found:
Three-fourths of the students studied were found to be suffering from varying degrees of depression.
21 per cent of the students were found to have severe depression.
Another 25 per cent of the students were suffering from moderate to severe depression.
26 per cent of the students were showing symptoms of mild to moderate depression.
The findings of the study also revealed that around 65 per cent of the students surveyed felt the need for someone to discuss their mental health situation with on a constant basis. However, it is utterly unfortunate and appalling how mental health is treated with sheer indifference and apathy in Bangladesh. Understandably, discussing an issue like mental health with family and friends can be challenging for many, especially in this corner of the world where even many parents view mental health disparagingly and refrain from seeking professional help for their children in fear of shame and social stigma.
Universities, therefore, can play a pivotal role in promoting student mental health primarily by providing support in times of crises, creating or boosting awareness and executing preventive measures. First of all, universities should design and develop policies that address student mental health needs effectively and ensure they are reinforced by sufficient resources.
However, only establishing policies is not enough in this case; these educational institutions are also required to develop necessary academic programmes and training workshops to inspire changes at both faculty and administrative levels. In fact, mental health should be integrated into the academic curricula to destigmatise and foster a deeper understanding of the concept.
Nowadays many universities have counselling centres, online resources, and peer support groups through which counselling, therapy, and other mental health services are offered to students. In any case, the adequacy of these services is questionable. Therefore, universities also need to develop and implement campaigns to provide students with mental health education while reducing the inherent stigma associated with it.
Furthermore, universities should systematically create policies strongly against bullying, discrimination, and other related factors that almost always negatively impact student mental health. There should be a continuous and ongoing monitoring and evaluation system in practice so that the effectiveness of mental health education programmes can be successfully assessed and adjustments made as and when needed.
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Nadia Afroze Disha is a lecturer at BRAC Business School, BRAC University.
