Examining the mental health and well-being of tertiary students at Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) in Matabeleland North Province, Zimbabwe.

This paper examines mental health and well-being amongst tertiary students at Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU).Social and environmental factors including poverty, politics and economic instability impact on the mental health and well-being of students while pursuing their studies.Limpus & Carlyon (2019)'s framework and Dr Mason Durie (1982) Te whare tapa wha model inform the study.A survey approach investigates the nature, impact, and strategies for promoting mental health and well-being of students at institutions of higher learning.An online questionnaire and interview guide collected data from a stratified sample of thirty ZOU students pursuing different programmes.Narrative and descriptive techniques analysed data from interviews and questionnaire, respectively.Findings from the study point at tertiary education institutions environment having a significant impact on students' mental health and well-being, and more so, current trends in Open Distance and electronic Learning (ODeL) fall short.Ninety percent (90%) of students indicate lack of institutional and staff support while 70% and 80% are concerned about technology and connectivity, and economic instability, respectively.Recommendations put forward are that ZOU as an ODeL institution requires someone with a strong computer literacy and intrinsically motivated.There is need for a comprehensive support system and coordinated approach to assist students' mental health and well-being during their studies.Also, there is a likelihood of an increase in enrolment and completion rate if students are in a stable mental state.