Mental health knowledge among undergraduate university students in the northern region of Ghana

Introduction: Particularly in educational environments, mental health concerns, and health-related issues, are more focused on youth. One of the most significant phases in one’s life is the university period. The massive shift from the social system of school and the pressures of academia, along with the autonomy, influence an individual’s mental health. The issue of mental health is crucial to understand in order to support young people in improving their health and well-being, and the empirical research in this area is particularly scarce for the undergraduate university students in the Northern Region of Ghana. Therefore, this study purposed to evaluate and assess the mental health knowledge of undergraduate university students in Northern Region of Ghana.
Method: This institution-based study was carried out among university students in the Northern Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional design using a quantitative approach was adopted to gather data from 422 participants. The design helped to perform systematic and objective assessment of university students’ knowledge on mental health. The use of a quantitative approach enabled the application of descriptive statistics, which facilitated the synthesis of responses and provided a clearer understanding of knowledge levels. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select the study respondents. 
Results: Almost half (49.1%) of the respondents demonstrated adequate knowledge of mental health. However, a greater proportion (83.4%) of respondents viewed admission to a mental hospital as a failure in life. Additionally, 42.9% believed mental illness is caused by lack of moral strength or willpower. It was reported by 57.1% of the respondents that it is not easy to identify someone with mental illness. Furthermore, 41.6% disagreed that medication is the best treatment, suggesting uncertainty about treatment options.
Conclusion: The study highlights several important challenges related to mental health knowledge and perceptions among the respondents. These challenges include confusion between biological, psychological, and social causes of mental illness; deep-rooted stigma and social exclusion; limited mental health literacy and awareness of symptoms; and gaps in knowledge about effective treatment methods. To address these issues, universities should integrate comprehensive mental health education into their curricula to improve students’ understanding of the causes, symptoms, and treatment of mental illness.