Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Assegid Negash; Matloob Ahmed; Girmay Medhin; Dawit Wondimagegn; Clare Pain; Mesfin Araya

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S338319

Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Nov 27:14:1901-1913. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S338319. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Assegid Negash^{1

2}, Matloob Ahmed¹, Girmay Medhin³, Dawit Wondimagegn¹, Clare Pain⁴, Mesfin Araya¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
² Department of Psychology, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
³ Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Abstract

Background: Socio-culturally determined processes account for how individuals give meanings to health, illness, causal attributions, expectations from treatment, and related outcomes. There is limited evidence of explanatory models for mental distress among higher education institutions in Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to explore the explanatory models for mental distress among Wolaita Sodo University.

Methods: The current study used a phenomenological research approach, and we collected data from 21 students. The participants were purposively recruited based on eligibility criteria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from December 2017 to January 2018 using the Short Explanatory Models Interview. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed into the Amharic language and translated into English. Data were analyzed using framework analysis with the assistance of open code software 4.02.

Results: Most students experienced symptoms of being anxious, fatigue, headaches and feelings of hopelessness. They labeled these symptoms like anxiety or stress. The most commonly reported causal explanations were psychosocial factors. Students perceived that their anxiety or stress was severe that mainly affected their mind, which in turn impacted their interactions with others, academic result, emotions and motivation to study. Almost all the students received care from informal sources, although they wanted to receive care from mental health professionals. They managed their mental distress using positive as well as negative coping strategies.

Conclusion: The policy implication of our findings is that mental health interventions in higher education institutions in Ethiopia should take into account the explanatory models of students' psychological distress.

Keywords: Ethiopia; explanatory models; mental distress; university students.

Grants and funding

This study is funded by Addis Ababa University and Wolaita Sodo University. These funders had no role in the study design; data collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in writing the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.