Study Difficulty Amongst Undergraduates in a Nigerian University: Pattern and Relationship With Psychiatric Morbidity and Academic Performance.

Abstract

Background: Difficulty in studying is one of the most commonly encountered symptoms amongst University students. This is frequently accompanied by varying degrees of psychological factors. This, perhaps, is because students are exposed to a specific set of occupational and environmental hazards. Apart from the frequency with which it is  encountered, study difficulty can lead to the termination of the educational career of the students. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the pattern of study difficult as well as the extent of its relationship with psychiatric morbidity and academic performance amongst undergraduate students of a Nigerian University. Method: The study was carried out among undergraduate students of the University of Benin drawn from 7 of the 14 Faculties in the University. The design of the study was crosssectional. The study instrument consisted of the University College London Study Difficulty Questionnaire (UCLSQ), an instrument for measuring study difficulty; the 28- item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a Section on Socio-Demographic Variables. A total of 1,125 students were selected from 7 Faculties by stratified random sampling. The questionnaires of 1,060 respondents were analysed. Results: A significant proportion of the students (4.5 – 15.3%) had study difficulty across the subscales of the UCLSQ. 33.5% of respondents were positive for GHQ morbidity. Study difficulty was strongly associated with psychiatric morbidity in 13.1 – 45.9% of cases. Study difficulty had significant negative impact on academic performance of the students. Conclusion: This study has shown that University students manifest a high level of study difficulty related to anxiety and obsessionality, and a high level of work satisfaction and syllabus boundness. The magnitude of the problem of study difficulty as revealed by this and previous studies is enormous. This underscores the importance of sincere concern to all issues relating to student mental health. Study difficulty is strongly associated with psychiatric morbidity. The implications for academic performance have been discussed. Key words: Study Difficulty, Psychiatry Morbidity, Academic Performance, Undergraduates