EXPLORING NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES ONLINE STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS: DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGY

Abstract

The local problem of this study was the lack of institution-wide mental health support services and plans of action for online students to address mental health impairments among online students in Nigerian universities. Even though the overall student performance depends on their state of mental health, in Nigeria, there is no evidence suggesting that online students’ mental health wellness is being addressed. The study was informed in part by my early interaction with classmates living with mental health impairments, my experience as a special education teacher, numerous peer-reviewed articles, initial pilot interviews with faculty members, and my interactions with a few online students on the lack of clear institution-wide support services, policy, and protocols to combat mental health impairments among online post-secondary students in Nigeria. The high incidence of mental health impairments among university students is making news headlines these days in Nigeria and around the world, yet online students’ cases are hidden and exacerbated by their programs' remote nature. The learners are located far from their campuses and almost anonymous in the grand scheme of things on the university campus. University faculty, administrators, postsecondary students, distance education students, and their parents are impacted by the policy gaps that have led to the lack of support and provision of mental health services for online students. Therefore, the major stakeholders would be interested in establishing policies and protocols that will provide support systems to address mental health issues among online students. The theoretical frameworks guiding this study are based on the constructivist theory and Dewey’s philosophy of pragmatism. The research questions focused on how students perceived the mental health support services and plans of action and the support they received from their institution during mental health crises. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with carefully selected online students of my research sites in two Nigerian metropolitan cities to obtain data about the phenomenon under study. Developing mental health support services and plans of action for online students in Nigeria will ensure that students living with mental health impairments will have a greater opportunity to succeed and complete their education. Keywords: Mental health in higher institutions in Nigeria, mental health conditions in post-secondary schools, mental health well-being, positive mental health, mental health impairments among online students in Nigeria, online students’ mental health, online students’ mental health support services, mental health plans of action for online students in Nigerian universities, open and distributive learning, and distance education students.