Approximately 10% of students at Rajshahi University currently face the looming threat of mental health issues, with various factors like social media addiction, insomnia, and career-related frustrations contributing significantly to this growing concern.
The escalating risk has also raised alarms about the potential for suicidal tendencies among students, underscoring the urgent need for increased counseling and support services.
Over the last ten months, the university has witnessed eight individuals, including three students, succumbing to the grip of depression, often intertwined with relationship conflicts, mental fatigue, and stress associated with their academic and career pursuits.
Dr Tanzir Ahmed Tushar, a prominent psychiatrist at the university's mental health centre, has pinpointed several key factors driving this surge in mental health risks.
These include online addiction, poor time management, insomnia, depression, panic disorders, relationship woes, and overall stress. The challenges posed by adapting to the post-Covid situation have only exacerbated the strain on students' mental well-being.
According to the Mental Health Centre of Rajshahi University, as of October 2023, 400 individuals have sought assistance at the center, encompassing 194 students, 182 female students, 17 teachers, and seven officers.
Over the past six years, a total of 2,231 individuals have availed themselves of these services, with 10% of them being students. The centre has conducted 34 counseling sessions thus far.
Statistics lay bare a troubling fact: the incidence of mental health issues among university students has doubled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, underscoring a deeply worrisome upward trajectory.
Dr Imrul Kayes, director of the Mental Health Centre, has emphasized the university's ongoing commitment to mitigating mental health risks among students through both individual and group counseling sessions.
Importantly, no student who has accessed these services has taken their own life. However, Dr. Kayes stresses the necessity for enhanced awareness programs and the introduction of recreational activities within the university community.
Rajshahi University Vice-Chancellor Professor Sultan-ul-Islam has acknowledged the gravity of this issue and underscored the imperative need for proactive measures to be implemented within departments and hall authorities to safeguard the mental well-being of the students.