In the past two years, both Higher Education and Basic Education had to transition from physical to either blended or remote learning, adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Students who were already in university during this time had to adapt to the new normal of working remotely with little access to support structures.
The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has shared that it normally received an average of 600 - 700 calls per day before the Covid-19 pandemic, however, these numbers doubled in the first month of the pandemic.
In an interview, SADAG operations manager, Vanisha Gordhan said:
The events that have occurred in the past two years have been stressful.
Some experts believe that this is an indication that more and more people are experiencing signs of depression and might not even know what it is that they are going through.
These very signs have led to some individuals taking their lives as they cannot cope and haven’t received the help that they need on time.
Recently, two Stellenbosch University undergraduate students have taken this route. The university has confirmed that it does have a 24-hour crisis service and students have been urged to use it.
At the beginning of the year, SADAG started a peer support group for students to share their experiences, their coping skills and to also know that they are not alone. Students may also follow a guide on how they can cope with depression.
