Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Background: An increase in mental health problems have been documented in health sciences students globally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of mental health problems and substance use among health and rehabili...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2025-02-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2376 |
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| author | Itumeleng Ntatamala Saajida Khan Zenzo Chakara |
| author_facet | Itumeleng Ntatamala Saajida Khan Zenzo Chakara |
| author_sort | Itumeleng Ntatamala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: An increase in mental health problems have been documented in health sciences students globally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of mental health problems and substance use among health and rehabilitation sciences (HRS) students during the pandemic.
Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Cape Town, Health Sciences Faculty.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of 113 voluntary undergraduate participants was conducted. Participants completed self-administered electronic questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the sociodemographic and COVID-19-related determinants of mental health diagnoses.
Results: Substance use was common, including alcohol (54.05%), cigarettes and/or tobacco (17.27%), and illicit drugs (5.56%). Below a quarter (23.85%) self-reported a mental health condition in their lifetime and 14.81% in the past 12 months. Diagnoses included major depressive disorders (13.27%) and anxiety disorders (11.50%). A mental health diagnosis in the past 12 months was significantly associated with alcohol use (AOR [adjusted odds ratio] = 4.02, 1.06–15.23), prescription medication used to manage academic/social stress (AOR = 5.74, 1.68–19.69), COVID-19 diagnosis (AOR = 5.51, 1.60–18.92) and physiotherapy programme (AOR = 12.35, 1.21–126.44). Barriers to accessing mental health support included academic commitments (61.90%) and the lack of time to attend student wellness services (36.19%).
Conclusion: The self-reported prevalence of mental health problems and substance use among HRS students was high during the pandemic.
Contribution: Institutional and public health measures should address modifiable risk factors and barriers to accessing mental health support amongst students. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ceced68c19ef4a2a9e75adb1237d2e99 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-ceced68c19ef4a2a9e75adb1237d2e992025-02-11T13:31:20ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862025-02-01310e1e810.4102/sajpsychiatry.v31i0.2376760Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemicItumeleng Ntatamala0Saajida Khan1Zenzo Chakara2Division of Occupational Medicine and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownDivision of Occupational Medicine and Centre for Environmental and Occupational Health Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; and Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, GqeberhaDivision of Communication Science and Disorders, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownBackground: An increase in mental health problems have been documented in health sciences students globally during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and correlates of mental health problems and substance use among health and rehabilitation sciences (HRS) students during the pandemic. Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Cape Town, Health Sciences Faculty. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 113 voluntary undergraduate participants was conducted. Participants completed self-administered electronic questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the sociodemographic and COVID-19-related determinants of mental health diagnoses. Results: Substance use was common, including alcohol (54.05%), cigarettes and/or tobacco (17.27%), and illicit drugs (5.56%). Below a quarter (23.85%) self-reported a mental health condition in their lifetime and 14.81% in the past 12 months. Diagnoses included major depressive disorders (13.27%) and anxiety disorders (11.50%). A mental health diagnosis in the past 12 months was significantly associated with alcohol use (AOR [adjusted odds ratio] = 4.02, 1.06–15.23), prescription medication used to manage academic/social stress (AOR = 5.74, 1.68–19.69), COVID-19 diagnosis (AOR = 5.51, 1.60–18.92) and physiotherapy programme (AOR = 12.35, 1.21–126.44). Barriers to accessing mental health support included academic commitments (61.90%) and the lack of time to attend student wellness services (36.19%). Conclusion: The self-reported prevalence of mental health problems and substance use among HRS students was high during the pandemic. Contribution: Institutional and public health measures should address modifiable risk factors and barriers to accessing mental health support amongst students.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2376mental healthsubstance useuniversity studentsspeech therapyaudiologyphysiotherapyoccupational therapycovid-19 |
| spellingShingle | Itumeleng Ntatamala Saajida Khan Zenzo Chakara Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic South African Journal of Psychiatry mental health substance use university students speech therapy audiology physiotherapy occupational therapy covid-19 |
| title | Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | mental health and substance use among rehabilitation sciences students during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | mental health substance use university students speech therapy audiology physiotherapy occupational therapy covid-19 |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2376 |
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