Coping mechanisms of students with mental disorders at Busitema University, an exploratory qualitative study at Mbale and Busia campuses

Background Over the past years, Ugandan universities have been grappling with mental health issues among students. The prevalence of mental disorders was up to 60% among undergraduate students in Uganda. This trend has been observed at many universities as mental health issues pose significant academic and social problems for many students. This study aimed to explore the coping mechanisms used by students with mental disorders at Busitema University. Methods Forty-two key informant interviews were conducted among students diagnosed with mental disorders based on Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. All the interviews followed a well-structured interview guide which was developed by the research team. All participants consented during the study. All interviews were audiotaped and recordings were later subjected to verbatim transcription. Each transcript was read several times by the research team. Thematic analysis was done following a deductive approach. Nvivo software was used to support the coding and grouping of codes. Results The study revealed several key coping strategies embraced by students experiencing mental health issues at the two campuses. Five themes emerged during the data analysis which included Alcohol and substance use, Use of sedatives, social and personal initiatives, seeking counselling services, withdrawal and confrontation and faith healing. A lot of subthemes emerged as indicated in table (2). Among the many were resorting to drug, alcohol and substance use, withdrawal, confrontations, witchcraft, engaging in co-curricular activities and other social events, abortions, seeking counselling and other forms of psychosocial support. Conclusions In the face of increasing mental health challenges among university students, their coping strategies amidst such situations need to be looked through and given much attention. Some are self-thought-through strategies while others are university-led interventions. There is a need to reinforce the good coping mechanisms and counter the bad ones for the betterment of the mental health status of these students.