Mental Health in students of the Universidad de Costa Rica, Sede Guanacaste: An invisible reality

Abstract

In the university context there are a few risk factors related to anxiety and depression. As a response to this situation, the present study aims to promote mental health in the student population that belongs to the University of Costa Rica’s Campus in Liberia, Guanacaste through five recreational activities. A total of 227 students from various careers participated and the results reflected the presence of suicide ideation, frustration, fatigue, and anxiety symptoms, as well as the existence of protective factors such as family, friends, and university scholarship. The replication of the strategies proposed is desirable in other university contexts, involving students and professors in order to recognize the influence of the factors mentioned in the learning process.