Mental health care is deemed a luxury for students in schools in Uganda

With final exams nearing in schools in Uganda, strange bad behavior in the classroom is prevalent as the semester progresses, owing to academic stress. Many problems arise as a result of academic pressure. Mental illness is one of them. It's worth noting that academic stress and its effects on mental health are well-studied subjects.

Mental health is a state of mind in which a person would be able to use their capabilities in accordance with general societal basic human values. As a result, mental health is at the heart of human existence. Demanding consistent mental healthcare in low- and middle-income nations like Uganda, where disease, ignorance, and poverty are ubiquitous, can feel like a luxury.

As per the Uganda Counseling Association (UCA) as well as the Department of Health's most recent statistics, 14 million Ugandans are psychologically unstable. This suggests that 35 out of every 100 Ugandans may be suffering from a mental disorder. This comprises both primary and high school pupils.

Bizarre behavior is typical at school as the semester continues, owing primarily to academic strain. Academic pressure is caused by students' academic ambitions, strong parental expectations, or societal obligations. According to research, academic stress has been linked to worse well-being and an elevated risk of acquiring anxiety or depression.

Students also have challenges with anger and stress management and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is marked by irrational thoughts as well as anxieties (fixations) that lead to compulsive tendencies. 

Schools in Uganda struggle to maintain pupils in check, and as academic pressure is mounting, so does anxiousness, despair, emotional regulation, tension, substance abuse (particularly among boys), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and personality issues. Academic failure and behavioral issues (including suicide) are common outcomes, all of which are disastrous for school administrators, families, and society. 

When academic strain mounts, psychological and emotional meltdowns are common, and therefore should not be dismissed. However, effort should be undertaken in schools to address these mental health challenges.