Stellenbosch University (SU) has integrated with the ER24 crisis service to remind students to prioritise their mental health, especially now during the global pandemic.
This project is in collaboration with SU’s Center of Student Counselling and Development (CSCD) and the Campus Health Service(CHS).
According to dr Munita Dunn-Coetzee, director of CSCD, students’ environment and circumstances can at times affect their mental health and this cycle is sometimes difficult to break.
“Mental health is often regarded as purely the absence of mental illness, but it is much more complex than that. It is a state of emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing – a multidimensional concept,” Dunn-Coetzee said.
She added that it is important for anyone who is battling with their mental health to seek professional help during this pandemic, as the pandemic can have serious effects on one’s mental wellbeing.
“A holistic approach is needed when you think of mental health. It is not just simply about therapy or medication,” Dunn-Coetzee said. One should look at all the systems involved in one’s life, she said.
“People will experience stigmas from the people around them, friends and often family – or they experience it from within themselves. All of these lead to a delay in seeking help with mental health problems,” said dr Craig Thompson, general practitioner (GP) at Campus Health Service (CHS).
According to Thompson, debunking myths and treating mental health will help to break the stigmas that surround mental illness.
Fourth-year chemical engineering student and chairperson of the engineering faculty, George van Dyk, said that the integrated crisis service provided by SU and ER24 is a holistic approach for students and staff.
“It’s critical to have adequate response mechanisms in place. However, a far more effective solution would be to prevent mental health adversities from reaching a breaking point in the first place,” said Van Dyk.
Van Dyk also added that SU’s prim committee should rather focus on mental health policies than alcohol policies.