Suicide among the youth in universities on the rise

Suicide is one of the main causes of death among university students. It has also lately become a real concern among residents of the Mangaung Metro after Lerothodi Joseph Mokati (20), a Tourism student at the Central University of Technology (CUT), jumped to his death at the Loch Logan Waterfront in Bloemfontein on Saturday, 18 August 2018 at about 18:00, Bloemfontein Courant reports.

The reason why he took his own life is still unknown at this stage but students from different institutions raised their worries about depression and how it plays a role in suicide.

Thapelo Molale, a 21-year-old law student from the University of the Free State (UFS) said that the pressure students are facing plays a big role in depression, which could then lead to suicide.

“Due to the pressure of academic institutions as well as other factors influencing the lives of students, mental illness becomes more prevalent. Students do not always know how to deal with mental illnesses. They do not want to seek help from professionals as they find they cannot air their feelings towards professionals,” Molale said.

According to him, the support systems at the universities are good and available to students to use but it is difficult for students to share their feelings and to admit that they are suffering from depression.

A 20-year-old Civil Engineering student at the CUT, Bennie Shai, said factors such as peer pressure, the stress of studying and relationships play a role in young people committing suicide more often.

“I think depression is the most common factor that makes young people commit suicide because young adults who are suffering from depression do not always have a person to share their feelings with.”

Mental health activist and founder of Next Chapter, Tshepang Mahlatsi, who is currently a third-year student studying towards his Bachelor of Law degree at the UFS, has dedicated his life to discussing issues about mental health, as he personally suffers from depression.

“I personally know how it feels like to be depressed, I know what it feels like to wake up every day and take an anti-depressant,” are his words.

According to Mahlatsi, mental illness among students is a growing problem daily and a person might not be depressed now but studies show that all of us, at some point in our lives, will face a mental health challenge.

“Do it for yourself. Taking your life might seem like solving your problems, but you are creating more problems for the people that you are leaving behind. Every situation we are face is a test and to pass that test we have find the area of hope. Remember, there are a lot of things that you will have to go through to get to where you want to be in life. There is always that one area of hope, no matter how bad things are,” Mahlatsi concluded.