Abstract

Common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and stress are prevalent among Health Science students globally. Despite the available support systems offered by the university that is the site of the present study, barriers such as stigma and resource limitations hinder their effectiveness. Understanding these contributing factors is essential to improving the well-being of these future health professionals and ensuring their academic success. This study explored the factors contributing to common mental health problems in students participating in health-related programmes at a university in the Eastern Cape. This study used a descriptive phenomenological design to explore students’ real-life experiences. A purposive sample of 15 students from various departments in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences was employed. The data-collection method included detailed interviews, which were audio-recorded with informed consent until data saturation. The data were analysed thematically to reveal key patterns, while ensuring their trustworthiness through credibility, transferability, confirmability and dependability. Health Science students face significant mental health problems that result primarily from their academic workloads, time-management difficulties and clinical training demands. The participants reported experiencing high stress levels caused by heavy workloads, frequent assessments and the emotional strain that results from patient interactions. Poor time management exacerbated their stress, leading to sleep deprivation and social isolation. Although support services such as counselling and peer mentoring were available, many students avoided seeking help due to concerns about confidentiality, stigma and insufficient resources. Language barriers contributed further to their academic difficulties, affecting the students’ confidence and performance. This research underscores the need for the university in question to enhance mental health provision by increasing accessibility to counselling services, promoting time-management strategies and providing workshops to prepare students for clinical exposure. Early intervention, structured peer support and institutional reforms are recommended to mitigate the mental health challenges experienced by Health Science students.