A study on the prevalence of mental health problems among university students in Malaysia

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of mental health issues among Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) students and the factors influencing stress levels. A cross-sectional study involving 384 students was conducted. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was utilized to gauge students' levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Results showed that approximately 5.8% (n = 22), 8.3% (n = 32), and 4.6% (n = 18) of male students experienced moderate to extremely severe symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. In contrast, 22.9% (n = 88), 40.7% (n = 81), and 16.3% (n = 63) of female students exhibited moderate to extremely severe symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively. Furthermore, the findings indicated a positive and significant relationship between anxiety, depression, and stress levels. The findings show that anxiety and sadness are highly related to students' stress levels. Other characteristics, including gender, faculty, and semester, have no significant association with stress levels. This study's limitations are the small sample size and sample selection. These outcomes offer valuable insights into university students' perceptions of mental health challenges in Malaysia.