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

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....

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Autores principales: Negash, Assegid, Ahmed, Matloob, Medhin, Girmay, Wondimagegn, Dawit, Pain, Clare, Araya, Mesfin
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Dove 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8637470/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34866943
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S338319
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author Negash, Assegid
Ahmed, Matloob
Medhin, Girmay
Wondimagegn, Dawit
Pain, Clare
Araya, Mesfin
author_facet Negash, Assegid
Ahmed, Matloob
Medhin, Girmay
Wondimagegn, Dawit
Pain, Clare
Araya, Mesfin
author_sort Negash, Assegid
collection PubMed
description 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.
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spelling pubmed-86374702021-12-03 Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study Negash, Assegid Ahmed, Matloob Medhin, Girmay Wondimagegn, Dawit Pain, Clare Araya, Mesfin Psychol Res Behav Manag Original Research 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. Dove 2021-11-27 /pmc/articles/PMC8637470/ /pubmed/34866943 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S338319 Text en © 2021 Negash et al. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) ). By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms (https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php).
spellingShingle Original Research
Negash, Assegid
Ahmed, Matloob
Medhin, Girmay
Wondimagegn, Dawit
Pain, Clare
Araya, Mesfin
Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title_full Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title_fullStr Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title_full_unstemmed Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title_short Explanatory Models for Mental Distress Among University Students in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study
title_sort explanatory models for mental distress among university students in ethiopia: a qualitative study
topic Original Research
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8637470/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34866943
http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S338319
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