Mental Health Awareness
It’s a silent struggle - it is so common and yet nobody speaks about it
Research team participant
Our research looks at how mental health stigma affects students in Kuwaiti universities. We want to understand students' experiences and raise awareness and support for them.
This is crucial because there's a lack of information and support for mental health issues in society. Stigma around mental health often comes from misunderstandings in religion, a focus on appearances/reputation, and societal norms that downplay mental health's importance or even demonize it. Ignorance about mental health can make problems worse, as harmful behaviors get passed down through generations. Parents may not be aware of these trends or how to help their children facing mental health issues due to these problems. This stigma and ignorance can lead to isolation and harmful rhetoric, even suicide. By sharing real student experiences and addressing the stigma, we aim to create a safer environment for everyone.
Universities are ill-prepared. When support is offered it’s because of a person’s (eg. a professor) individual effort, not because of an institutionalized system
Research team participant
We began our research focusing on key themes and believed these were the most important questions to ask our peers.
University
• Why are universities not investing in providing adequate mental health resources for their students?
• Why are there not enough university psychiatrists/trained professionals to provide care?
• Why do professors not consider mental health as a valid health concern/disability?
• What can we do to create safe spaces for students with mental health disabilities?
Home
• Why do our parents teach us toxic behaviors in childhood that harm our mental health?
• Does the government step in to safeguard the health of children?
• How can we empower individuals to talk about mental health with their loved ones?
Government
• Why is mental illness used as a label to excuse crimes in the local Kuwaiti government?
• Are there any initiatives or organizations focusing on educating, raising awareness and providing resources?
• Who has access to these mental health resources?
• What are the legal and social ramifications to accessing or utilizing these resources?
And as any research project goes, we were full of assumptions that would later be clarified by some very succinct realizations.
Assumptions
• When students who struggle with mental illnesses try to seek help, they become stigmatized and are surrounded by misinterpretations of religion, which creates an unsafe environment. Misinterpretations in religion are one of the culprits of the stigma surrounding mental health.
• The preoccupation of Kuwaiti society with family image and reputation combined with the negative view society has towards mental health leads to a backlash against individuals with mental health issues.
• Ignorance about mental health in society often exacerbates mental health issues: many toxic behaviors are passed down from generation to generation and parents themselves teach their children behaviors that harm their mental health.
• There is a lack of safe spaces and support in universities for students suffering with mental illnesses.
Realizations
• Most of the participants were aware of mental health issues.
• Majority of professors do not prioritize their students’ mental health.
• About half of respondents state that their university provides mental health support through health clinics and workshops, indicating that there is some level of institutional awareness and commitment to addressing mental health concerns. However, the other half reported that their university does not provide such support, indicating these services are not accessible to many students.
• Respondents were also divided on whether they felt comfortable or open to discussing mental health concerns or other problems with others.
The data that we collected
Mental health is a big concern for us and it is something that is often not discussed and carries a social stigma. We wanted to know more about what our fellow peers thought about mental health. We were able to speak to 30 peers. Of course we understand that there are some limitations to the data that we collected. So for full transparency we’ve listed those limitations below. Remember that these are just a starting point for us and you to dig into this critical issue deeper.
Data details and limitations
Limited Demographic Information:
The survey did not collect demographic information about the respondents, such as gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status, or even school, which limits the ability to analyze the data further.
Small Sample Size:
The number of respondents in the survey is small, which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Key insights from our data
80% of us said they have read or researched mental health problems
Only 13% report having used mental health support services before
87% of us personally know someone with a mental health issue or issues
One big reason for mental health issues is bullying on campuses, which 77% of us said we’ve experienced
Our conclusion
Our main takeaway from the data is that while mental health issues are common, stigma around mental health still exists and needs to be tackled. Furthermore, more resources are needed to support students with mental health issues; while universities and professors provide students support to a certain extent, still more can be done to increase institutional and professional support. Mental health issues such as fear, feelings of insecurity, doubts about oneself, and anxiety and depression, which are often caused by bullying on campus, impact students negatively and thus such support will go a long way in improving their wellbeing and happiness, in school and beyond.