BY BRENDA MAKENA: At Mount Kenya University in Thika, many students are quietly battling mental health challenges that often go unnoticed.
According to learners and counselors alike, rising academic pressure, financial difficulties, and overwhelming social expectations are severely affecting students’ mental well-being.
The issue has become increasingly significant in recent years as campus counseling centers report a surge in cases of anxiety, depression, and chronic stress among young adults, raising urgent concerns about how universities can better support their student populations.
On a chilly Wednesday morning, 21-year-old journalism student Mary Wanjiku sat quietly outside the university library.
While her classmates hurried to lectures and group discussions, she stared blankly at her notebook, trying to gather the strength just to attend class.
For months, Mary had battled debilitating anxiety fueled by intense academic pressure and her family’s compounding financial problems.
“I felt entirely alone, even when surrounded by people,” she recalled.
“Every day felt like an uphill struggle, and I simply didn’t know who to turn to.”
Mary’s story mirrors the experiences of thousands of university students across Kenya.
As institutions nationwide continue to expand access to higher education, mental health concerns among young people are rapidly emerging as a critical public health issue.
Campus pressures
According to counselors working across several Kenyan universities, more students are seeking professional help for stress-related conditions than ever before.
Academic competition, fears of post-graduation unemployment, relationship turbulent dynamics, social media pressure, and acute financial distress are among the leading factors driving poor mental health.
Mental health expert Dr Peter Mwangi explains that young adulthood is a uniquely volatile stage of personal development.
“University students face multiple heavy transitions simultaneously. They are making monumental career decisions, learning to manage independence, and coping with intense social expectations. Without adequate support structures, these combined pressures can significantly fracture their mental well-being,” Dr Mwangi notes.
Global research conducted by mental health organizations corroborates this, consistently showing that anxiety and depression are the most common disorders affecting young people worldwide.
Experts warn that left untreated, these conditions drastically impair academic performance, erode personal relationships, and severely diminish overall quality of life.
Breaking silence and barriers of stigma
Despite the growing prevalence of these issues, students themselves acknowledge that deep-seated social stigma remains a major barrier to seeking timely help.
Many fear being judged by their peers or labeled as “weak.”
Consequently, an alarming number of students choose to suffer in silence until their conditions reach a breaking point.
Others turn to destructive coping mechanisms, including substance abuse or complete social withdrawal.
To combat this silent epidemic, universities have begun establishing dedicated counseling departments, student-led peer support groups, and targeted mental health awareness campaigns.
Some institutions have also introduced comprehensive wellness programs aimed at teaching students healthy stress management and resilience-building techniques.
Jane Njeri, a university counselor, believes that these awareness efforts are slowly shifting student attitudes for the better.
“More students are now willing to seek professional help than in previous years,” Njeri noted.
“The primary challenge now is ensuring that these institutional counseling services are easily accessible, well-funded, and adequately staffed to meet the rapidly growing demand.”
However, mental health advocates argue that this responsibility should not rest solely on the shoulders of higher education institutions.
Parents, local communities, government agencies, and healthcare providers all play a vital role in dismantling stigma and promoting mental well-being among the youth.
Renewed hope
For Mary, taking the brave step to seek counseling marked a definitive turning point in her life.
Although she still faces daily challenges, she has equipped herself with much healthier ways of navigating stress and anxiety.
Today, she actively encourages her fellow students to speak openly about their internal struggles and to reject the notion that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
As the sun began to set over the bustling Thika campus, Mary walked confidently toward her evening lecture, carrying not only her books but also a renewed sense of hope.
Her journey serves as a poignant reminder that mental health is just as critical as physical health—and that behind every campus statistic is a human being whose story deserves to be heard and validated.
