RISING CASES OF CLUSTER IN UNIVERSITIES
By: Abigael Chebet and Meshack Kioko
College life is a time of transition. Many students are living far from home for the very first time in their lives thus have limited or less access to support from family and friends.
Along with increased freedom and independence, students face greater stress especially from a variety of sources such as increase in academic demands, adjusting to new environments and developing a new support system.
The university also provides a lot of opportunities to experiment with alcohol and other drugs which may compound to mood problems among the students thus increasing the risks of suicides.
For the previous weeks that have passed , there have been a series of suicides, suicide attempts and self-harm events that have occurred closer together in time and space than would normally be expected among young people.
Depression is yet another big issue that if ignored will lead to more loss of young souls. Unhealthy relationships among campus students may lead to love lives going sour, others ending up in dangerous heartbreaks that may force one to be blinded by poor decisions that may end up taking their lives.
To avoid such vicious acts of suicides, students should be more open to each other for instance by sharing their problems and seeking solutions from their friends. Parents should also check on their children regularly to ensure that they are aware of the challenges they might be going through, provide necessary requirements for them and ensure they make their stay in campus easier despite the challenges.
In conclusion, the government should also liaise with institutions to bring programs that educate students on how to curb the issues that may curb them and how to deal with depression. Departments of guidance and counselling should be considered a top priority among the university premises as it has a lot of work dealing with students facing problems.
It’s therefore a call for action to not only students but also to everyone to help reduce cluster suicides in the universities by holding arms together to help fight it and secure lives for a better tomorrow.
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