Mental health status and coping strategy of Post-Graduate students at Strathmore University, Nairobi Kenya

Abstract

World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being where individuals realize their potential, cope with life's stresses, work productively, and contribute to their community. This definition emphasizes that mental health is not merely the absence of mental disorders but a positive state of well-being that includes emotional, psychological, and social aspect. The Sustainable Development Goals has identified mental health as one of the goals and a target set to reduce preventable deaths from non-communicable diseases and positively contribute to good psychological well-being. Postgraduate students face significant pressures such as the monetary costs, academic performance and family issues that can negatively influence their mental health. Having clear ways of coping with these pressures is necessary for the success in the academic, professional and personal life of the postgraduate students. The study is based on the transactional theory of stress and coping that describes different strategies of stress management adopted by people facing challenging situation – also called the Stress and Coping theory by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). This study aimed at establishing effects of different coping strategies to stressors, on the mental well-being of postgraduate students at Strathmore University. The main objectives of the study were to assess and analyze the mental health status of the postgraduate students and the effect of three different coping approaches adopted by the students on their mental health status - problem-focused coping strategy, emotion-focused coping strategy and avoidant coping strategy. A total of two-hundred and forty two postgraduate students at Strathmore university were enrolled as study participants. Data from the study was collected using online questionnaires and analysis involved use of a multiple linear regression model. The research design used was cross-sectional descriptive design. The study findings were that coping strategies have significant influence on the mental well being of postgraduate students. Specifically, while problem-focused coping strategies had negative effects on student’s, the study ascertained that emotion-focused and avoidant coping all had positive effects on student’s mental health. Recommendation were for students to familiarize themselves with effective coping strategies to improve their mental well-being. The study further recommended that universities ensure they put policies and interventions in place to destigmatize mental health services and ensure they are more accessible and friendlier to postgraduate students. Finally, the study called on all universities to have policy documents detailing how to prevent mental disorders among postgraduates, how to promote mental wellbeing in the postgraduates, and how to screen and manage mental disorders and illnesses among postgraduates.