'It is okay not to be okay' - Mental health issues and coping skills among the youth amidst the Covid-19 pandemic (Webinar)
DATE: 13 August 2021
AUTHOR: Mail & Guardian
On International Youth Day the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), in partnership with the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) reflected on issues that address broad mental health challenges that were faced by young people across South Africa with the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit young people particularly hard, and first-year university students have found it particularly difficult to cope. This demographic is suffering from severe psychological distress; isolation, stress, and an inability to cope with their workloads are weighing heavily on South Africa’s youth. These were some of the findings contained in a new study undertaken by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC). In contrast to the 18-19 year-olds, people in their early thirties coped much better with the pandemic. They also coped better with their workloads, indicating that they had better coping skills and support networks, the data showed.
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