Psychosocial Problems of Jimma University Students Moges A. et al 43

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS OF JIMMA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, SOUTH WEST

Moges Ayele1* BEd, MA, Amare Mengistu2, MD, MSc

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Jimma University is one of the newly established higher institutions in Ethiopia. In recent years, the university is highly expanding in both student intake and number of fields of studies and the student population is becoming huge. Various research works elsewhere revealed that students of higher institutions pass through a number of difficulties. The aim of the present study was to determine the magnitude of psychological and social problems facing students of Jimma University. METHODS: This cross sectional study was conducted in Jimma University during May to June 2002. The study population encompassed all regular students (excluding post basic students) of Jimma University from which 200 students were randomly selected. A questionnaire that consisted of 55 questions was developed to gather data on students’ problems. It was distributed to the selected students and filled with the help of assigned dormitory service workers. RESULTS: The results showed that students face many kinds of problems. The most prevalent problem was found to be psychological problem, which includes attention problem 69(49.0%), anxiety 58(41.0%) and depression 32(23.0%). Besides, the students did face academic, social and economic problems. CONCLUSION: To alleviate the problems identified in this survey certain measures should be taken by the concerned bodies of the university. As such efforts should be made to place students in fields of their interest; in strengthening certain clubs such as arts clubs; and in securing adequate funds to support economically disadvantaged students. Finally, the university's guidance and counseling unit is should work hard to resolve the concerns of students with the mentioned problems. Key Words: Economic problems, Social problems, Psychological problems, Academic problems, students.

INTRODUCTION

Students who join higher institutions differ and social environment easily while others in various aspects. Some are academically cannot do it easily. outstanding while others are average or Certain students even may be admitted below average. Some are well adjusted to the universities with marked physical or socially, emotionally and psychologically psychological problems since there is no where as others do face difficulties in this way of checking students' physical or regard. Some can adjust to new academic psychological well-being before admission. Thus it is this diverse body of students that ______1 Faculty of Education, Department of Psychology and student counseling office, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma (*Corresponding author: Moges Ayele) 2 Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, and Students Dean Office, Jimma University, P.O. 378, Jimma

44 Ethiop J Health Sci. Vol. 14, No. 1 January 2004 lives and learns together in higher face various academic, social, economical, institutions. Hence we need to know our psychological and psychiatric problems. students and the problems they face to No study was conducted to assess the facilitate the personal and professional magnitude of the aforementioned problems. development. The aim of this study was to assess the rate Few studies were conducted on of academic, social, economic and students' academic, psychological and other psychological problems that do face related problems (1). A study conducted in students of JU and obtain baseline data for University revealed that further investigation on students' mental or freshman students encounter all kinds of psychological well being. psychological and psychiatric problems (2). Studies conducted on student's academic MATERIALS AND METHODS and psychological problems, causes and cures of students' attrition, education and This cross -sectional study was conducted problems of females in higher institutions in Jimma University on regular students showed that students do face different types during May-June 2002. The students were of academic, social, psychological and selected from a total number of 3306 in six related problems (1, 2, 3-5). faculties. The Post Basic students were A study carried out at former Jimma excluded from the study. The assumptions Institute of Health Sciences has revealed made for sample size calculation were: that about 13.3% of the students were 95% confidence interval, the prevalence of found to have serious problems on their psychosocial problem once assessed at academic, social and psychological spheres former Jimma Institute of Health Sciences, of life. Depression - the psychological which was 13.3% (6) and 4.7% of margin problem emanating from inability to deal of error to be tolerated. As such, a total of with stressful situation effectively whose 200 students were randomly selected by symptoms include difficulty in making taking the name list from the dormitory decisions, appearing miserable, showing service and by using table of random poor or in some cases too much appetite, numbers. feeling of hopelessness, looking oneself as Workers of dormitory services collected inferior or inadequate, loneliness, losing the data and the study subjects filled the interest in activities which used to be questionnaire. Data collectors were pleasurable and so on- was the commonest instructed about how and when to distribute psychological problem that was strongly and collect the questionnaire. The related to lack of financial support, which questionnaire consisting of 55 questions, in turn was associated to anxiety (6). which were both open and close ended was A study showed that mental disorder is used for data collection. It was pertaining one of the major causes of student's failure to students’ social, economic, academic in higher institution. Although most of and psychological problems. psychological problems can be managed Permission was obtained from the through adequate therapeutic and Students Dean Office before conducting counseling services, students with various the study. Concerning the subjects of the kinds of problems did not seek help study students who were willing to because of lack of information (7). participate involved in the study and they Personal experience showed that the were briefed about the study and the number of JU students has been increasing confidentiality of their responses. since its foundation. And the students do

Psychosocial Problems of Jimma University Students Moges A. et al 45

SPSS for Windows version 7.5 was Care Givers: Show individuals who were used to analyze frequency distribution that providing care for the subjects and who had would indicate the prevalence of different the major role in bringing up the students problems facing Jimma University such as parents, relatives, guardians and the students. Descriptive statistics was used to like. get the mean age of the subjects. Operational Definition of Terms used in RESULTS the study: Attention/Concentration problem: Is difficulty to keep ones thought Of the 200 students, 143 responded to the focused on important things like studying questionnaire, making a response rate of that may arise from fantasy, tension, stress 71.5%. The age of respondents ranged from etc. 17-25 years with the mean age of 20.5 Substance abuse: Shows using Khat years. Sixty- percent (87) of the subjects (Catha edulis), alcohol, cigarette, etc were below the age of 20. continuously and facing trouble of Socio-demographic data: The distribution functioning effectively without those of sex, care givers, birth order of the substances or being addicted. students, state of the parents, residence, region and religion are shown in table 1.

Table 1. The distribution of socio demographic variables among respondents at Jimma University, June 2002

Category Number (%) Sex Male 103 (72) Female 40 (28) Caregivers Parents 120 (84) Others* 23 (16) First 49 (34) Birth order Middle 70 (49) Last 24 (17) Both 105 (73) Parents alive One 28 (20) None 10 (7) Cities** 44 (31) Residence Towns 56 (39) Rural 43 (30) 44 (31) Region Amhara 41 (29) Addis Ababa 34 (24) Others 24 (17) Orthodox 98 (69) Religion Protestant 23 (16) Muslim 11 (8) Others 11 (8) *others include relatives, foster parents and guardians. **Cities major urban areas existing in the country such as Addis Ababa, Nazareth, Dire Dawa, Awassa, Harar, Bahir Dar and Makelle.

46 Ethiop J Health Sci. Vol. 14, No. 1 January 2004

Academic Problems: Performance at high did well in their high schools. However, school and JU was showed that 53 (37.1%) only 6 (4.2%) scored above 3.60 at JU. of the students scored between 3.80 and Sixty percent (86) had scored between 2.00 4.00 in ESLCE, and 107 (75.0 %) of them to 2.80 and 16 (11.2%) scored below 2.00.

70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% >3.60 2.81-3.59 2.00-2.80 <2.00

Fig. Academic Performance of Study Subjects at Jimma University, May-June 2002

Sixty nine percent (98) showed their reasons the subjects rose for their poor dissatisfaction in their performance and the achievements are showed in table 2.

Table 2. Reasons given by students for poor academic performance, Jimma University, June 2002

Reasons No of Students (%) Not liking the field of study 8 (9) Not working well or lacking skill 14 (16) Problems with Instructors 9 (10) Economic and health problems 20 (23) Social and environmental difficulties 26 (30) Others 11 (12) Total 88 (100)

Psychological Problems: Different of keeping ones emotion stable, i.e., feeling psychological problems were identified in excited and happy for sometime and the following sequence attention problem immediately getting depressed and worried in 69 (49.0%), anxiety disorder - the state or frequent change of mood (8) - in 27 of individuals being fearful as if something (36.5%), learned helplessness - implies that might happen and accompanied by individuals stop trying to resolve the irritability, dizziness, looking tense or challenges when seemingly not resolvable frightened, inability to concentrate, looking difficulties face them (9) - in 34 (24.0%), around now and again, and having poor stress in 32 (23.0 %), paranoid thought - sleep and other similar conditions - in 58 constantly thinking that someone is trying (41.0%), memory problem in 56 (40.0%), to harm oneself - in 26 (18.6%), and mood oscillations - indicates the difficulty substance/drug abuse reported in 17 (12.0%) of the students.

Fig. 1. Shows types of psychological problems encountered by JU students, June, 2002. 2002. June, students, JU by encountered problems psychological of types Shows 1. Fig. Psychosocial Problems of Jimma University Students Moges A. et al 47

Table 3. Psychological Problems of Study Subjects at Jimma University, June 2002

Problems No. of Students (%) Attention Problem 69 (49.0) Anxiety 58 (41.0) Memory Problem 56 (40.0) Mood Oscillations 27 (36.5) Learned Helplessness 34 (24.0) 69 Depression 32 (23.0) 70 Paranoid Thought 26 (18.6) Drug /substance abuse 17 (12.0)

Social Problems: Concerning relation with governmental and non-governmental dorm-mates 131 (93.0 %) reported that organization employees respectively. Nine their relation with the dorm-mates was percent (13) of the study subjects claimed generally good. Seven percent (10) of the that they did not get parental or relative 58 60 study group indicated that their relation support. was not as such good. Lack of mutual understanding, crowded room, quarreling, DISCUSSION and dislikes on ethnic basis were some of the reasons for poor relation among This survey revealed it clearly that Jimma students. University students do face all kinds of Regarding relation with the opposite problems such as psychological, academic, 50 sex, 34 (24.0 %) of the students don't have social and economic problems. This finding any boy or girl friend; where as 14 (10.0 was consistent to the results obtained by %) have boy or girl friend. Thirty nine other studies such as studies on Addis percent (55) of the respondents reported Ababa University (AAU) students that that they were freely playing and talking in showed students face various types of relaxed manner with members of the academic, social, psychological and related opposite sex, 15 (11.0 %) mentioned that problems (1, 3-5). they are shy and frightened to talk with the The academic problems were 37 40 opposite sex and 17 (12.0%) of the manifested by performing less at the respondents exposed that they have a university. Hence as it was shown above 34 No. person whom they love but could not 11.2% of the subjects were at risk. Because express it to that person. they scored below 2.00, that is the 32 Ninety one percent (126) of the minimum requirement for successful subjects pointed that their relation with completion of the university education. family members was generally all right, 13 Besides, the substantial number of 27 30 (9.0%) showed that their relation was respondents showed their dissatisfaction in 26 indifferent, the reason being lack of good their achievement and most of them communication, not getting support from thought that they would have performed their family and their family being not better in their education. To put it in a considerate. nutshell, the subjects involved in this study Economic matters: Thirty one percent (43) did not perform well as their earlier of the students come from peasant family, achievements would indicate. 20 36 (26.0%), 45 (32.0%), and 10 (7.0%) of The most prevalent problem identified 17 the students family were merchants, in this investigation was psychological

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Anxiety Paranoid Drug abuse Drug Depression Drug addition Drug L. helplessness L. disorder Mood Memory Problem Memory Attention problems Attention Psychological Problems Psychological 48 Ethiop J Health Sci. Vol. 14, No. 1 January 2004 problem from which attention problem was Based on the results of the survey the by far the most dominant one followed by following recommendations were made. anxiety disorder. This finding was a bit 1. Efforts should be made to place different from the result obtained by an students in their fields of interest as earlier research conducted at former Jimma much as possible so that they may be Institute of Health Sciences, which successful in their academic revealed that the predominant problem was endeavors. depression (7). However, that research also 2. Although the university attempted its showed other psychological difficulties best to address some of the problems such as anxiety disorder among students of like economic problem further efforts the institute. Concerning depression about should be made in securing additional 23% of the respondents were found to be sources of fund to support needy liable to depression of which some students. answered positively to questions pertaining 3. From the investigation it was observed to chronic depression disorder. In addition that the predominant problem was to these other psychological problems were psychological problem. Thus the identified like paranoid thinking, learned guidance and counseling unit of the helplessness, drug addiction, mood disorder university is required to work hard in and the like. This was a bit related to the alleviating the psychological finding, which showed that students might difficulties of students. fail in their higher institution education due 4. It seems that strengthening certain to mental disorder (7). clubs existing in the university such as The other less serious problem arts club would contribute its part in observed was social problem. Social reducing social problems prevailing in problem at present study was seen by the university. This is to say that difficulties in social relation among dorm students who have difficulties in mates, family members, members of the interaction with other students may opposite sex, and university staff and in benefit from this club in learning more expressing oneself clearly. Some of the about social interactions since the club subjects pointed that they do have problems prepares certain social occasions. The on these matters but their number is few. club would also help in reframing the However, some of the respondents attitude of students who come from complained that the university staffs different parts of Ethiopia to view one mistreat them. If this thing was actually another positively. happened it requires improvement. Finally the least prevalent problem ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS assessed in this survey was economic problem. It seems that students get at least The material and financial support for this some support either from their family or survey was secured from the Offices of the from relatives. Nevertheless, 13 (9.0%) vice-president for administration and respondents said that they did not get any development and the Dean of students. support either from family or from Besides we extend our heart felt gratitude relatives. Of course the university was to persons who co-operated with us during working to alleviate the problem of this data collection and data entry. sort of students through the social committee organized under the dean of students’ office.

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