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European Journal of Applied Sciences – Vol. 13, No. 02

Publication Date: April 25, 2025

DOI:10.14738/aivp.1302.18356.

Anika, A. A., Kwena, J. A., Lambert, E., Level, R. T., & Islam, M. S. (2025). Status of Mental Health Amongst Undergraduate Students

in Kenyan Universities (Qualitative Analysis of Sampled Studies). European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 13(02). 138-150.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Status of Mental Health Amongst Undergraduate Students in

Kenyan Universities (Qualitative Analysis of Sampled Studies)

Alice A. Anika

Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs,

School of Education, Pwani University Kenya, Kenya

Jacinter A. Kwena

Department of Educational Psychology and Special Needs,

School of Education, Pwani University Kenya, Kenya

Edward Lambert

School of Social and Human Studies, Atlantic International University,

Pioneer Plaza, 900 Fort Street Mall 905, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA

Rene T. Level

School of Social and Human Studies, Atlantic International University,

Pioneer Plaza, 900 Fort Street Mall 905, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

School of Science and Engineering, Atlantic International University,

Pioneer Plaza, 900 Fort Street Mall 905, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA

ABSTRACT

Studies investigating mental health issues amongst university students have shown

that mental distress in students is a driver of negative consequences, including

suicidal thoughts, substance use, depression, anxiety disorders, poor cognitive

functioning, and poor academic performance. The findings imply a similar mental

health index in Kenyan universities, with respect to findings that mental health

issues are more profound therein owing to associated stressors in these

environments. This paper provides an anchor point for an assessment of the

situation thereof, in the form of a meta-analysis of seven studies evaluating mental

health among university students in Kenya. It was guided by five objectives: to

determine the common mental health issues cited in the studies, to document

summarised mental health challenges faced by university students, to profile the

mental health services sited, to determine the coping mechanism used by students

to manage their mental health issues if any, and to establish research gaps

identified from the studies reviewed on mental health in the period between 2021-

2022. The review revealed that depression, anxiety, and stress are the most

prevalent mental health issues, due to diverse challenges. Further, it emerged that

student counselling is the instrument put in place to handle mental health issues

although students often resort to their own mechanisms when dealing with mental

health issues. The findings revealed various gaps for further research in mental

health management in Kenyan universities, in the form of relative unawareness or

misinformation about mental health issues among university students.

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Anika, A. A., Kwena, J. A., Lambert, E., Level, R. T., & Islam, M. S. (2025). Status of Mental Health Amongst Undergraduate Students in Kenyan

Universities (Qualitative Analysis of Sampled Studies). European Journal of Applied Sciences, Vol - 13(02). 138-150.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/aivp.1302.18356.

Keywords: Mental Health Among University Students

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Mental health has over the last decade persisted as a critical issue for research, practice, and

medicine as one of the key indicators of general health. Notably, as is postulated byhuman

health exceeds the absence of illness or infirmity, to include overall wellbeing in the social, and

psychological spheres(Huber et al., 2011). Nonetheless, focus on pathological drivers of ill

health has had a toll on mental health, culminating in societies of individuals who are overly

conscious about their physical health at the expense of psychological or mental health.

The university has often been cited as one of the social institutions characterized by mental

health issues, with the average university student experiencing challenges in so far as their

mental health is concerned(Aswani, 2021). The world is changing fast with prospects for life

courses taking new trajectories by the day, causing significant uncertainty across the life of the

average person. University students have borne a significant percentage of this uncertainty,

being at a phase in life where society looks up to them, irrespective of the increasingly

challenging life in school, and uncertainties of life upon completion of studies.

University students worldwide are at a constant risk of mental health problems because of the

problems they are constantly exposed to (Aldiabat et al., 2014). On average, these students

have to grapple with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, addiction, and at times,

use psychiatric medications. Despite these findings, the missing link between mental health

issues amidst the milestone of youth growth and developmental facets and the realities of life

challenges, limited awareness about mental health issues among university students (Aldiabat

et al., 2014) to wrongful perceptions of mental health, stigmatization and limiting capacity of

students to seek help presents gaps for further research undertakings. In reiteration of the

stigmatization of mental health in institutions of higher learning, Kamarunzaman et al (2020)

noted that students with mental issues often prefer to stay silent because of stigmatization, and,

often, it takes third parties to identify and intervene into suspected cases of mental problems.

Studies investigating mental health issues amongst university students have also shown that

mental distress in students is a driver of negative consequences, including suicidal thoughts,

substance use, depression, anxiety disorders, poor cognitive functioning, and poor academic

performance (Mutinta, 2022). The mental health challenge is global and cross-cutting, and

students from African universities are no exception. In a study by Aswani (2021), it emerged

that about one third of students in African universities have mental health problems, with only

two thirds of this faction seeking help. The most notable stressors that have been associated

with mental health problems amongst students in African universities include separation from

family and friends, financial pressure, academic challenges, and relationship problems.

Interestingly, higher prevalence of mental health problems is noted in female students than in

their male counterparts (Kamarunzaman et al., 2020), with female students showing

susceptibility to more stressors.

Kenya holds a worrying ranking for mental issues at the regional and global level, with

depression being the most common form of mental health amongst her population. The number

of people showing mental health problems increases daily thereby compounding an already

concerning situation. To put this into perspective, a study by Wambui, (2019) had ranked East

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European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 13, Issue 02, April-2025

Africanas coming to fourth position in the African continent on issues of mental health. The

numbers imply a similar mental health index in Kenyan universities, in respect to findings that

mental health issues are more profound therein owing to associated stressors. Indeed, Wambui

(2019) points out that the socio-economic organization of Kenyan universities provides a

suitable environment for mental health problems, with an array of factors converging to

increase the risk of problems such as depression, anxiety and drug abuse for students (Wambui,

2019). This background therefore suites the need to undertake a qualitative analysis review of

seven recent studies on mental health among university students in Kenya to investigate the

status of mental health amongst undergraduate students in Kenyan Universities

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Despite manageable mental health intervention in various universities institutions, the

students are often faced with multifaceted mental health challenges due to their age factor

which propels them to peer pressure and general misinformation about the same, hence the

need for further mental health studies analysis among university students.

Problems with mental health have often been associated with poor performance in social,

economic, and intellectual life. For University students, susceptibility to mental health

problems is heightened by the nature of university life and the circumstances surrounding

entry into and exit out of university (Aswani, 2021). Research has shown that on a global scale,

one out of 10 students joining university is likely to encounter at least one psychological

challenge, which often poses threats to academic performance (Gakii, 2021). The problem is

more pronounced amongst first year students as they adjust to university life, and as the

stressors increase, their mental health outcomes deteriorate further. However, due to little

knowledge of mental health, related stigmatization when instances are suspected, and the

associated fear of seclusion for victims occurs, it become increasingly difficult to identify cases

of mental health among the University students. While it has been noted that the Mental Health

issues among the youth warrants resilience by the African gate keepers of mental health, in the

African cultural set up especially among the boys, the modern platform today, especially the

21stC youth is riddled with a lot of challenges in their upbringing that life at the University

overwhelms them and many silently slip away into mental health issues unnoticed.

For this reason, mental health problems have prevailed amongst university students in the

country and slowly eating into the student population with critical consequences. It is therefore

fundamental that the mental health situation amongst university students in Kenya be

evaluated, as a starting point for intervention with positive mental health outcomes in mind

(Mutinta, 2022). This paper provides an anchor point for an assessment of the situation thereof,

in the form of a meta-analysis of studies evaluating mental health among university students in

Kenya.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To establish Mental Health status among university students in Kenya using meta-analysis

approach from seven mental health studies already undertaken in the universities in Kenya.

Specific Objectives

1. To determine the common mental health issues sited in the studies