Abstract
Bangladeshi youth protested the return of quotas, resulting in a geopolitical crisis. They face internet outages and callous aggression (Amnesty International, 2024), which seems to have affected their mental health negatively. The purpose of this study was to understand the predominant mental health issues experienced by youth and young adults that became visible after the recent geopolitical crisis. It also explores coping techniques utilized by this population to manage their issues. This study employed a qualitative approach, with data collected through eight focus group discussions (FGDs), including 80 youth from Bangladeshi public and private universities. Purposive sampling was used to choose participants. Inductive reflective thematic analysis was carried out for data analysis using text mining and manual coding. The geopolitical crisis had a range of psychological consequences on the study population, including major psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic stress. Additionally, they dealt with minor symptoms such as sleep difficulties, exam phobia, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and grief. Male participants at the private university were found to be more vulnerable because of their frequent exposure to violence. The study also found that peer support, creative outlets, social media involvement, and denial of the circumstance were found as coping techniques for the youth. To address the mental health issues of students, different measures should be taken, such as mental health awareness initiatives, one-to-one or group psychological counseling sessions, peer group support sessions, etc. These measures can assist students in building resilience and accessing an effective supportive system.
Author Information
Tabassum Amina, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Maruf Hossain Mishuk, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Nayeema Islam Bhuiya, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Labim Maliat, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Jannatul Ferdousi Orchy, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Olima Akter Mim, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Md. Reza-A- Rabby, BRAC University, Bangladesh
Paper Information
Conference: IICE2025
Stream: Mind
This paper is part of the IICE2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Amina T., Mishuk M., Bhuiya N., Maliat L., Orchy J., Mim O., & Rabby M. (2025) Mental Health Conditions of Youth: Understanding Their Challenges and Coping Mechanisms After the Geopolitical Crisis in Bangladesh ISSN: 2189-1036 – The IAFOR International Conference on Education – Hawaii 2025 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 609-622) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2025.52
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-1036.2025.52
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