AUTHOR=Khombo Sibusiso , Khombo Kennedy , Stoddart Robert Shalom , Sifelani Innocent , Sibanda Theresi 

TITLE=Knowledge, attitudes, and uptake of mental health services by secondary school students in Gweru, Zimbabwe

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1002948

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1002948

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=The study sought to investigate and analyze knowledge and attitudes regarding up taking of mental services by secondary school students in Gweru. It sought to establish how much the students knew on mental health services and what their perceptions and willingness to utilize them were. Using a purely qualitative approach, eighteen (18) students from various secondary schools in Gweru were interviewed. Findings revealed that most secondary school students were aware of the existence of the term ‘mental health’ and related it to the psychiatric patients and schizophrenics seen wondering about in the cities. They felt that mental health services were strictly for the mentally unwell ‘mapenzi’ and thus reported no need to use the services.