Influence of Pharmacy Curriculum on mental health of students in Nigeria: The Learners' perspectives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51412/psnnjp.2025.40Keywords:
mental health, curriculum, pharmacy school, academic, NigeriaAbstract
Background: There is growing evidence suggesting that pharmacy students face multiple stressors, including academic overload, that may be at odds with mental well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of pharmacy curriculum design and delivery on the mental health of undergraduate students, and their coping strategies.
Methods: This study was a cross sectional survey using a validated 35-item self-administered questionnaire. Pharmacy undergraduate students of a public University were purposively selected for this study. Seven questions assessed the participants' socio-demographics, while eight questions on a Likert scale evaluated the components within the pharmacy curriculum that may affect students' mental health. A-14 item pre-validated Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess the mental well-being of the participants, while the remaining six questions assessed the participants' coping mechanisms to stress.
Results: Of the 211 participants, 106 (50.2%) were males, 183(86.7%) strongly agreed and agreed that the workload of pharmacy school can affect students' mental health. Overall, the participants had a mental well-being mean score of 45.27±11.33 on WEMWBS scale. The participants (50; 23.7%, p<0.001) had always resorted to taking alcohol or substances to make them feel better.
Conclusion: The pharmacy curriculum in Nigeria may affect students' mental health. The workloads do not favor the mental well-being of students. Many participants chose alcohol or substances as a coping strategy for academic stress.
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