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Capacitating students to navigate their mental health journey

16 October 2023 | Story Michelle Nöthling | Photo iStock

Commemorating World Mental Health Month 2023 — The mental health of university students is of growing global concern.

One of the largest student mental health surveys in the world – initiated by Universities South Africa (USAf) in 2020 – found that up to 20% of university students in South Africa need mental health support. The research results also show that up to 77% of students with mental health disorders are not getting help. Contributing reasons include reluctance to seek help due to lingering stigma surrounding mental health, but also limited access. With growing demand and limited capacity, one-on-one therapy does not seem to be a sustainable solution. Some of the recommendations that stem from the report are to introduce a range of digitally based self-help interventions, to provide psychoeducation about when to access help, and to offer peer-to-peer support. This is precisely what the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Student Counselling and Development (SCD) is now implementing.

Coinciding with World Mental Health Awareness Month, SCD’s Road Map embodies a paradigm shift in student mental health support. “We want to capacitate students on their mental health journey. Following the Road Map, our students are now able to be active agents in their mental well-being,” says Dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee, SCD Director.

What exactly is this Road Map?

The SCD Road Map guides students to multiple sources of support. On the SCD website, students can delve into a wealth of self-help guides and toolkits that range from academic, emotional, and social well-being to personal challenges and psychological distress. In a commitment to expand the SCD reach beyond one-on-one sessions, the department is offering both in-person and online workshops and development programmes that can be accessed through Blackboard. Additionally, podcasts have been integrated into the SCD offerings to accommodate students' varying schedules and data constraints.

SCD has also partnered with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) to provide a 24/7 toll-free UFS Student Careline. The Careline can be reached in three ways: by calling 0800 00 6363, SMSing 43302, or emailing helpline@sadag.org. In a crisis, help is immediately activated, and assistance is sent to the student.

Another exciting aspect of SCD's Road Map¬ – which further integrates recommendations from the research report – is the shift from individual-centric interventions to group-based support. “We want to expand beyond individual therapy,” Dr Dunn-Coetzee says. “Although one-on-one therapy has an important place in mental health support, we are currently expanding to offer various support groups.” Through these circles of support, SCD aims to foster a culture of mutual learning, peer-to-peer connection, and collective well-being.

The Road Map therefore enables SCD to pivot toward a capacitating approach, equipping students to navigate their mental health journey in a truly collaborative model.

News Archive

UFS Safety Awareness March set to create a safe space for students

2017-07-27

The University of the Free State (UFS), in collaboration with various stakeholders, has dedicated the week of 24 to 28 July 2017 to creating awareness for the safety of students on and around its campuses.

UFS and CUT unite for safety
The highlight of the week will be on Thursday 27 July 2017 when a safety awareness march will take place from the Main Building on the Bloemfontein Campus to the Bram Fischer Building, where a memorandum will be handed over to Mr Sam Mashinini, MEC for Police, Roads, and Transport in the Free State. The march is a partnership between the UFS Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Central University of Technology (CUT).

During a meeting on 24 July 2017, the Executive Committee of Senate granted formal approval for students and staff of the Bloemfontein Campus to take part in the safety march on 27 July 2017. For this reason, all lectures will be suspended from 11:00 to 13:00 on 27 July 2017 in order to give the campus community the opportunity to participate in the march. Academic staff, as well as staff in the administrative support services, are encouraged to join the march.

Programme for the safety march:

11:00: Marchers gather in front of the Main Building

11:15: Marchers depart from the Main Building to the Main Gate

11:30: Marchers exit the Main Gate and move towards the Central University of Technology (CUT). Students and staff who are unable to participate in the rest of the march, return to their work places or classes.

12:20: UFS and CUT marchers will gather at the Bram Fischer Building, situated on the corner of Nelson Mandela Avenue and Markgraaff Street. Here, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, Prof Francis Petersen, and the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of CUT, Prof Henk de Jager, will address the marchers, after which the memorandum will be read by the respective SRC Presidents and handed to Mr Mashinini.

Activities underway to raise safety awareness
During the week, the Student Representative Council (SRC), together with other stakeholders, have been involved in several activities on and off the Bloemfontein Campus, including door-to-door visits to student homes and residences on and around campus, awareness campaigns at all the gates of the campus, and a Safety Dialogue that will be held on Wednesday 26 July 2017 at the Equitas Auditorium. The aim of the Safety Week is to focus on informing, educating, and encouraging students as well as the Mangaung community at large, in order to work together in creating a safe environment for students.

The week started with the roll-out of an awareness campaign titled Reach Out, which is set to bring students and the community of Mangaung together to help decrease the number of violent crimes faced by students off campus. The communication plan includes safety messages, using outdoor billboards, posters on lampposts around the residential student areas, local community radio stations, campus media, and the university’s social media platforms.

A similar student safety awareness campaign will take place on the university’s Qwaqwa Campus during the week of 31 July 2017.

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