Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students

Mohammad Mofatteh; Mohammad Mofatteh

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2021004

AIMS Public Health

2021, Volume 8, Issue 1: 36-65. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2021004

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Research article

Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students

Mohammad Mofatteh ^{1,2,3
,
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1.
Lincoln College, University of Oxford, Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DR, United Kingdom
2.
Merton College, University of Oxford, Merton Street, Oxford OX1 4DJ, United Kingdom
3.
Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom

Received: 12 November 2020 Accepted: 23 December 2020 Published: 25 December 2020

It is well-known that prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression is high among university undergraduate students in developed and developing countries. Students entering university are from different socioeconomic background, which can bring a variety of mental health risk factors. The aim of this review was to investigate present literatures to identify risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students in developed and developing countries. I identified and critically evaluated forty-one articles about risk factors associated with mental health of undergraduate university students in developed and developing countries from 2000 to 2020 according to the inclusion criteria. Selected papers were analyzed for risk factor themes. Six different themes of risk factors were identified: psychological, academic, biological, lifestyle, social and financial. Different risk factor groups can have different degree of impact on students' stress, anxiety, and depression. Each theme of risk factor was further divided into multiple subthemes. Risk factors associated with stress, depression and anxiety among university students should be identified early in university to provide them with additional mental health support and prevent exacerbation of risk factors.
- mental health,
- public health,
- stress,
- anxiety,
- depression,
- students,
- university,
- undergraduate
Citation: Mohammad Mofatteh. Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2021, 8(1): 36-65. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2021004

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Abstract

It is well-known that prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression is high among university undergraduate students in developed and developing countries. Students entering university are from different socioeconomic background, which can bring a variety of mental health risk factors. The aim of this review was to investigate present literatures to identify risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among university undergraduate students in developed and developing countries. I identified and critically evaluated forty-one articles about risk factors associated with mental health of undergraduate university students in developed and developing countries from 2000 to 2020 according to the inclusion criteria. Selected papers were analyzed for risk factor themes. Six different themes of risk factors were identified: psychological, academic, biological, lifestyle, social and financial. Different risk factor groups can have different degree of impact on students' stress, anxiety, and depression. Each theme of risk factor was further divided into multiple subthemes. Risk factors associated with stress, depression and anxiety among university students should be identified early in university to provide them with additional mental health support and prevent exacerbation of risk factors.

Abbreviations

BDI

Beck's depression inventory

DSM

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders

PTSD

post-traumatic stress disorder

SAD

Stress, anxiety and depression

United Kingdom

USA

United States of America

Conflict of interest

All authors declare no conflicts of interest in this paper.

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