Speaker
Description
In the heart of Kenya's dynamic educational landscape lies an often-overlooked struggle—mental wellness among students. Behind the pursuit of academic excellence and career aspirations, many learners face silent battles with anxiety, depression, and stress, exacerbated by societal stigma and limited support systems. These hidden struggles by students within educational institutions not only affect their lives but also hinder the growth of a resilient and healthy workforce for the nation. This study aims to uncover the mental health challenges that Kenyan students endure, explore their causes, and highlight their impact on academic, personal and social growth. The study will also examine current coping mechanisms adopted by students, the interventions and propose actionable solutions.The Mixed methods approach will be used where both quantitative and qualitative methods will be triangulated to ensure the findings will cross-validate for a more robust and credible findings. The quantitative data will be collected using online Surveys specifically the Survey Monkey for students, teachers, and parents. To collect qualitative data an Interview guide and Focus Group Discussion (FGD’s) will be used as well as Voice Recorders for capturing audio during interviews and focus group discussions. The quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics and regression, while the qualitative data will be analysed using Nvivo Software. The preliminary results based on interactions with students and teachers reveal that common mental health challenges are: chronic stress, anxiety depression, Post Traumatic (PTSD) Stress Disorder (PTSD),Suicidal ideations and intent, substance misuse just to mention but a few which are exacerbated by bullying, unhealthy competition, high-stakes examination pressure, corporal punishment, family instability, relationships and inadequate recreational activities. Understanding students' coping mechanisms, the interventions in place, and the roles of different stakeholders could shed light on hidden struggles and lead to more effective mental health support. This study is significant in shedding light on the often-overlooked mental health struggles faced by students in Kenyan schools and also proposes early intervention strategies which are crucial to support students' well-being and academic success. The study wishes to help in normalising conversations around mental wellness and encourage open dialogue, paving the way for cultural shifts and attitudes. The conversations and dialogue around mental health seeks to inspire meaningful change in addressing mental wellness within Kenyan educational institutions and influence policies and priorities nationally.
Key words: Hidden struggles, students, mental wellness, educational institutions
