Impact of Academic Progress on the Mental Health of Young People in Nigeria: A Case Study of Undergraduate Students in South-Western Nigeria
Authors: Udousoro Akpan Usoro , Israel Oni Tolulope , Samuel Olayinka Obafemi 
Published: October 2024

Background: Education is important in forging a pathway to economic opportunity and social mobility. It is widely regarded as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of personal and social development.
Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study employs a quantitative data collection approach. Four hundred individuals were interviewed using semi-structured, interviewer-administered questions through a multi-stage sampling technique. After data analysis with SPSS version 26, a chi-square test statistic was employed to determine whether there was a significant relationship between the categorical variables, with a p-value of less than 0.05.
Results: Out of 400 respondents, 211 (52.8%) male and 189 (47.2%) female were questioned. Nearly half of the respondents (49.0%) were between the ages of 19 and 21 years old. According to the survey, most of the respondents (70.0%) asserted that their current academic workload is heavy, while (18.0%) and (9.0%) described their workload as moderate and light, respectively. Additionally, (60.0%) of the respondents rated their overall academic performance as good. However, only (13.0%) acknowledged that academic pressure contributes to stress and anxiety in life and (79.0%) occasionally expressed stress related to academic demands. About (11.8%) and (8.8%) of the respondents reported having been diagnosed with a mental health disorder before and experienced symptoms of depression in the past month respectively. An additional (20.0%) of respondents reported having experienced depression, while (24.5%) and (23.5%) claimed to have experienced anxiety and stress, respectively. Moreover, (11.8%) reported experiencing panic attacks, and (5.3%) mentioned having had suicidal thoughts. More than half of the respondents used to exercise (59.0%) and engaged in hobbies or interests (56.5%) as coping mechanisms for academic stress. Additionally, (45.5%) practiced mindfulness or relaxation techniques, and (25.5%) sought social support to manage their academic stress. About (32.5%) of respondents claimed they were aware of mental health support services available at their institutions, compared to (67.5%) who were unaware of these services. Of those aware, (33.1%) had utilized mental health support services. Additionally, (44.2%) of respondents were satisfied with the mental health support services on campus, while (39.5%) were very satisfied. The study also reveals that there’s no statistically significant association between the age, gender, monthly upkeep of the respondents and utilization of mental health support services.
Conclusion: There is a complex connection between academic performance, psychological well-being, and the use of coping strategies and mental health support services among university students. This underscores the importance of addressing students' mental health needs alongside providing academic assistance.

Keywords: Mental health, Academic performance, Mental health support services, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Mental health coping mechanisms