The growing calls by mental health experts for mandatory counselling services in Malawi’s secondary schools and universities deserve serious consideration.
While educational institutions have traditionally focused on academic excellence, recent events demonstrate that education cannot be separated from students’ mental and emotional well-being.
A student overwhelmed by depression, anxiety, trauma, financial hardship, or family conflict cannot reasonably be expected to perform academically without adequate support.
The rising number of suicide cases in Malawi is deeply alarming. According to the Malawi Police Service, 281 people died by suicide during the first six months of 2024, compared with 220 cases during the same period in 2023 an increase of nearly 28 percent.
Even more concerning, police recorded 153 suicide cases during the first three months of 2025, with the majority of victims aged between 20 and 39 years an age group that includes many university students and recent graduates.
Although Malawi does not maintain official national statistics specifically on student suicides, several widely reported cases involving learners in secondary schools and higher education institutions suggest that the problem is becoming increasingly visible.
Every student suicide represents not only a personal tragedy but also a devastating loss to families, communities, and the nation’s future workforce.
Research paints an equally troubling picture. A nationally representative study of school-going adolescents in Malawi found that 12.9 percent of students had attempted suicide at least once during the previous 12 months, while 12.8 percent had experienced suicidal thoughts.
These findings suggest that approximately one in every eight students has contemplated or attempted suicide a statistic that should concern every parent, teacher, policymaker, and community leader.
Studies involving university students have also identified strong links between suicidal thoughts and mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and excessive internet use.
These findings further reinforce the urgent need for accessible psychological support services within educational institutions.
Making counselling services mandatory does not imply that every student has a mental illness. Rather, it would normalise seeking help before personal challenges escalate into crises.
Just as schools conduct routine health checks to detect physical illnesses, regular mental health assessments and counselling sessions could identify emotional distress at an early stage and connect students with appropriate support.
Professional counsellors are trained to recognise warning signs that teachers and parents may overlook, including persistent sadness, social withdrawal, declining academic performance, behavioural changes, feelings of hopelessness, substance abuse, and expressions of self-harm.
Early intervention can prevent many of these situations from developing into life-threatening emergencies.
Beyond suicide prevention, counselling offers significant educational benefits. Students who receive emotional and psychological support are generally better able to concentrate, manage stress, resolve conflicts peacefully, and remain actively engaged in their studies.
Schools with strong mental health programmes often experience improved attendance, fewer disciplinary incidents, lower dropout rates, and better academic performance.
However, implementing mandatory counselling nationwide will require substantial investment. Many public secondary schools currently lack trained counsellors, private counselling facilities, and adequate financial resources.
The government would need to recruit and train professional counsellors, strengthen referral systems with healthcare facilities, and integrate mental health education into school curricula. Teachers should also receive basic training to identify students who may require professional support.
The responsibility should not rest solely with schools. Parents, religious leaders, community organisations, healthcare professionals, and civil society all have vital roles to play in creating environments where young people feel safe discussing emotional and psychological challenges without fear of stigma or discrimination.
The ministries responsible for Education and Health should work collaboratively to establish a national policy requiring every secondary school, college, and university to provide structured counselling services, regular mental health awareness programmes, and confidential referral mechanisms.
Such a policy should be supported by sustainable funding, qualified personnel, and continuous monitoring to ensure its effectiveness.
Mental health should no longer be treated as an afterthought within Malawi’s education system. Academic success is undeniably important, but safeguarding students’ lives is even more important.
Every learner deserves access to someone who will listen, provide guidance, and help them navigate life’s challenges before despair turns into tragedy.
Mandatory counselling will not eliminate every suicide. Nevertheless, it has the potential to save lives, reduce suffering, improve educational outcomes, and foster a culture in which seeking help is regarded as a sign of strength rather than weakness.
In a country where young people represent the nation’s future, investing in their mental well-being is not merely an educational reform it is a national imperative.
