Accessibility and utilization of guidance and counseling services among external undergraduate students at Makerere University

Abstract

In order to enhance university students' academic achievement and personal wellbeing, guidance and counseling services are essential for supporting students' academic, personal, and social wellbeing. The usefulness and accessibility of these services for Makerere University's external undergraduate students, however, are not well understood. Due to their restricted campus engagement, external undergraduate students frequently confront particular academic, social, and psychological obstacles. This might have an impact on their awareness, use, and perception of counseling services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the availability and use of guidance and counseling services among Makerere University's external undergraduate students, with an emphasis on their awareness, perceptions, and potential improvement methods. The results were more thorough and reliable because a contemporaneous triangulation mixed methods design was used, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Four significant sources were interviewed, and 36 external undergraduate students at Makerere University in all were polled. Qualitative data from interviews were subjected to thematic analysis, while quantitative data were evaluated using descriptive statistics. Despite the fact that most students (52.8%) acknowledged the value of counseling services in improving both academic and emotional well-being, many expressed that these services were not widely known and were difficult to get. Just 47.2% of respondents thought the services were customized to meet their needs. Significant obstacles were stigma and cultural attitudes; 52.8% of respondents thought that counseling was seen as a sign of weakness. The location and availability of services were unknown to 47.2% of respondents, despite 52.8% being aware of the advantages. Lack of digital knowledge and poor connectivity (36.1%) were two internet-related issues that restricted access to online therapy. A majority of students favored peer counseling (52.8%) and suggested promoting awareness through social media and university emails (58.3%). A large proportion of students (86.1%) were interested in counseling done online, and 77.8% highlighted the importance of training counselors to address the specific needs of learners who are external. External students at Makerere University encounter several obstacles that limit their ability to access and use counseling services, even though they acknowledge the services' value. Barriers include stigma related to culture, lack of awareness about the services, scheduling inflexibility, and problems with digital access. Additionally, students believe the services aren't tailored enough to address their particular needs. To boost utilization of counseling services, the university ought to customize services for external learners, and combine peer counseling with safeguards for confidentiality. Awareness about these services should be boosted via digital channels like WhatsApp and university emails. Other key steps include training counselors to meet the needs of external students, upgrading digital infrastructure, and teaming up with NGOs to get more resources, all of which would make counseling services more inclusive and effective.