Abstract
Efforts to intervene in university students' mental health have gained momentum
globally, with calls for establishing mental health policies within universities (Mohan,
2023). University students' mental health has become a significant global concern,
with numerous studies emphasising the challenges faced by this group. The COVID-
19 pandemic has worsened existing mental health issues among university students
(Baik et al., 2019; Morgan & Simmons, 2021). This research explored, understood and
theorised students' experiences navigating mental health challenges at the University
of Johannesburg. Furthermore, I explored the impact of COVID-19 on students' mental
health. Interpretative phenomenology was used to solicit subjective experiences and
meanings the students attached to their experiences.
Purposive sampling was used to recruit eight students, and data was collected using
semi-structured interviews. I employed Bourdieu's habitus theory as a theoretical
framework for analysing, theorising, and making sense of students' experiences.
Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the data using emic
and epic perspectives and discuss emerging themes. The six themes that emerged
were family dynamics and emotional support, academic and financial pressures,
mental health struggles and coping mechanisms, social adjustment and selfperception,
mental health stigma and societal perceptions, and social and emotional
effects of COVID-19. The findings of this project reveal that students experience
emotional and mental health challenges from their early childhood that persist through
to the university context. The coping mechanisms they bring to navigate university life
are already acquired before they enter the university. However, the university
aggravates their struggles owing to limited knowledge and access to resources in the
university. Firstly, I recommend developing different strategies to reach different
groups of students with mental health challenges by the university. Secondly, I
recommend that annual welcoming mental health packages be provided to students
for mental health awareness. These packages should include comprehensive
information about the prevalence of mental health conditions such as depression and
anxiety among university students, as well as effective coping mechanisms if students
are still able to handle these difficulties. These materials should clearly and explicitly
describe what individuals may anticipate when seeking counselling services.
Keywords: Higher education; Students; Mental health; Habitus; COVID-19