Mental health and academic failure among first-year university students in South Africa

Abstract

Universities in South Africa face ongoing challenges with low rates of academic attainment and high rates of attrition. Our aims were to (1) investigate the extent to which common mental disorders evaluated early in the first year predict academic failure at the end of the year, controlling for sociodemographic factors and (2) establish the potential reduction in prevalence of failure that could be achieved by effectively treating associated mental disorders. Self-report data were collected from first-year students ( n = 1402) via an online survey at the end of the first semester. Participants were assessed for six common mental disorders. Academic performance data were subsequently obtained from institutional records at the end of the year. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the best sociodemographic and mental health predictors of academic failure. Population attributable risk analysis was used to assess the potential impact of treating associated mental disorders. In multivariate logistic regression models controlling for significant sociodemographic factors, the odds of failure were elevated among students with major depressive disorder (aOR = 3.69) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (aOR = 2.05). Population attributable risk analysis suggests that providing effective treatment to students with major depressive disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder could yield a 6.5% absolute reduction in prevalence of academic failure (equivalent to a 23.0% proportional reduction in prevalence of academic failure). Providing effective and accessible campus-based mental healthcare services is integral to supporting students’ academic attainment and promoting transformation at South African universities.

The relationship between depression symptoms and academic performance among first-year undergraduate students at a South African university: a cross-sectional study

“…Mental illness is a public health priority, affecting as much as 47% of the population at some point in their lifetime [1]. Literature has identified university students as a group that is particularly vulnerable to mental illness [2][3][4][5][6]. A review on depression among university students reported that depression prevalence ranged between 6 and 54% among university students [6].…”

“…In addition to these traditional determinants, research has begun to explore the contribution of well-being, including mental health, as a potential contributor to student academic performance. This emerging research suggests that university students suffering from common mental disorders, especially anxiety and depression, are likely to perform poorly when compared to students without mental disorders [2,3,18]. A study among university students in the United States of America (USA), found that depression was not only linked to a lower grade point average (GPA), but also an increased likelihood of attrition [2].…”

Suicidal Thoughts, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress, and Harmful Alcohol Use Associated with Intimate Partner Violence and Rape Exposures among Female Students in South Africa

“…Apart from the experiences of trauma measured in this study, life in higher education and the associated academic pressures are stressful and impact mental wellbeing amongst female students [11,28]. These impacts have since been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the changes in the teaching and learning models that needed to be adopted [59].…”

“…Academic stressors, intimate relationship problems, and recent breakups were also associated with students' depressive symptoms [26]. Depressive symptoms and frequent binge drinking were also associated with poor academic performance and failure [28].…”

COVID-19 and common mental disorders among university students in South Africa

“…16 Our earlier work in South Africa suggested that providing effective treatment to first-year students with major depressive disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder could yield a 23.0% proportional reduction in prevalence of academic failure, highlighting the importance of promoting mental health as a strategy for raising educational attainment. 17 There has been a marked increase in the incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders following the outbreak of COVID-19 in both the general population and among university students. An analysis of the best available global survey data with measurements of anxiety and depression both before and during the pandemic, using the Global Burden of Disease Study model, estimated an additional 53.2 million cases of depressive disorder and 76.2 million cases of anxiety disorder globally (equivalent to a 27.6% increase in depression and a 25.6% increase in anxiety disorders).…”