Nursing student perspectives on improving mental health support services at university in Saudi Arabia – a qualitative study

Abstract

Background

University students’ needs for mental health (MH) services are an important aspect of academic success or failure. Nursing students enrolled at Saudi Arabian universities in need of MH care encounter obstacles in accessing this type of care.

Aims

The present work explores students’ views and suggestions about the existing problems surrounding university students’ MH and well-being support services.

Methods

Twenty students enrolled in a Master of Nursing program were recruited as research participants. Individual interviews of students’ perceptions of the needs and availability of MH services during their studies provided inductive data. These data were analysed through a constructivist thematic method.

Findings

Three major themes and sub-themes regarding the issues and possibilities of MH services were distinguished from the research data, namely, social implications, access and opportunity, and ways to improve care. Participants emphasised a need for a university-wide approach to reforming MH services to provide students with the required support and alleviate service demand by qualified professionals.

Conclusion

The present work underscores the need for provision of good quality MH care for university students and health promotion which strives to reduce stigma related to MH care.

Keywords:

• mental health
• stigma
• university
• students
• care

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.