WHAT DUTY DO VARSITIES HAVE IN ENSURING THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS IS IN TACT
● ON FRIDAY THE 10TH OCTOBER, WE COMMEMORATED WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY.
● THE GROWING PREVALENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AMONG STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION HAS BECOME
ONE OF THE MOST URGENT SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES OF OUR TIME. ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA, UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS ARE NAVIGATING COMPLEX ACADEMIC, EMOTIONAL, AND FINANCIAL PRESSURES THAT CAN SEVERELY IMPACT
THEIR WELL-BEING, AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE A DUTY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO AND ADDRESS THIS MATTER WITH THE
URGENCY IT DESERVES, AN EDUCATION EXPERT WARNS.
● BETWEEN JANUARY 2021 AND JUNE 2023, HIGHER HEALTH DELIVERED MENTAL HEALTH PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS TO
OVER 321,000 STUDENTS AND PROVIDED PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AND COUNSELLING TO MORE THAN 23,450 STUDENTS.
THESE STATISTICS NOT ONLY REFLECT THE ENORMOUS DEMAND FOR SUPPORT BUT ALSO THE GROWING AWARENESS OF
MENTAL HEALTH AS AN ESSENTIAL PILLAR OF STUDENT SUCCESS.

● TODAY WE LOOK AT , WHAT DUTY DO VARSITIES HAVE IN ENSURING THAT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF STUDENTS IS IN TACT.
● WE ARE JOINED BY DR ALUCIA MABUNDA WHO IS AN EDUCATION EXPERT FROM THE IIE (INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE OF
EDUCATION) TO TELL US MORE…