Mental Health Challenges in Pharmacy Schools: Triggers and Effects on Academic Performance

Abstract

Mental health is critical to academic and personal success, prompting an investigation into how mental health problems impact academic performance. This study aims to identify the triggers of mental health problems among pharmacy students in Southwest Nigeria, assess how students perceive the effects of these challenges on their academic engagement, and evaluate existing provisions to help students address these challenges. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 200- to 500-level pharmacy students from public and private universities in the region, with a sample size of 577. Data were collected using pretested, semi-structured questionnaires and summarised using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages). Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to group mental health triggers into thematic components. Spearman’s rank-order correlation was used to examine the relationship between students’ perceived effects on mental health and academic performance indicators. PCA identified five interpretable components that captured the structure of mental health triggers: academic pressure (25.44% variance), financial difficulties (11.88%), social and cultural adjustment (10.01%), psychological distress (7.92%), and lifestyle or health-related factors (7.08%). Students who reported that their mental health impacted their academic performance were more likely to struggle with task completion, focus, organisation, and class participation (p < 0.001). Most students had not accessed mental health services; only 10.6% had seen a therapist, and 14.2% had engaged with a counsellor since admission. Pharmacy students in Southwestern Nigeria face a range of academic, financial, social, and psychological stressors that affect their mental well-being and academic engagement. Despite these challenges, the use of support services remains low. Strengthening mental health awareness, early intervention, and access to counselling may improve students’ academic outcomes and emotional resilience.