Negash Assegid, Ahmed Matloob, Medhin Girmay, Wondimagegn Dawit, Pain Clare, Araya Mesfin
Department of Psychiatry, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Department of Psychology, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Nov 27;14:1901-1913. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S338319. eCollection 2021.
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.
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.
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.
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.
社会文化决定的过程解释了个体如何赋予健康、疾病、因果归因、治疗期望及相关结果以意义。在埃塞俄比亚的高等教育机构中，关于精神困扰的解释模型的证据有限。本研究的目的是探索沃莱塔索多大学学生精神困扰的解释模型。
本研究采用现象学研究方法，从21名学生中收集数据。参与者根据纳入标准进行目的抽样招募。2017年12月至2018年1月，使用简短解释模型访谈法进行半结构式访谈。访谈进行了录音，转录为阿姆哈拉语并翻译成英语。在开放编码软件4.02的辅助下，采用框架分析法对数据进行分析。
大多数学生经历过焦虑、疲劳、头痛和绝望感等症状。他们将这些症状归类为焦虑或压力。最常报告的因果解释是心理社会因素。学生们认为他们的焦虑或压力很严重，主要影响他们的思维，进而影响他们与他人的互动、学业成绩、情绪和学习动力。几乎所有学生都从非正式渠道获得了照顾，尽管他们希望从心理健康专业人员那里获得帮助。他们使用积极和消极的应对策略来管理自己的精神困扰。
我们研究结果的政策意义在于，埃塞俄比亚高等教育机构的心理健康干预应考虑学生心理困扰的解释模型。
