Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression, Anxiety and Stress of

Undergraduate Students from the Faculty of Health Sciences,

Universiti Teknologi MARA
Muhammad Faris Fauzi 1,2, Tengku Shahrul Anuar 1,3, Richard Mohamad Johari James1, 4, Lay Kek Teh1,4 and
Mohd Zaki Salleh1
1
Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

2
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam , Selangor, Malaysia

3
Centre of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

4
Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Associated Factors
INTRODUCTION
Unexplained weight loss were commonly found among subjects
Unexplained
Mental health accounts for 16% of the global burden of with anxiety.
weight-loss
(OR: 1.075, 95% CI: 1.006–1.148)
disease and injury (World Health Organization 2018).

In Malaysia, the prevalence of mental

health disorders had increased from Subject with stress were more likely to experience fatigue.
Fatigue
(OR: 1.042, 95% CI: 1.000–1.086)
11% in 2006 to 29.2% in 2015
(Institute for Public Health 2006, 2011,
2015).

Difficulty to Troubled sleeping were more commonly observed among

University Students Sleep subjects with depression (OR: 1.063, 95% CI: 1.021–1.106)
and anxiety (OR: 1.052, 95% CI: 1.010–1.106).

Frequent Subjects with anxiety (OR: 1.047, 95% CI: 1.005–1.090)

Consumption were more likely to take supplements which resulted in less
DEPRESSION ANXIETY STRESS of stressful experience (OR: 0.950, 95% CI: 0.907–0.995).
Supplements
37.2% 63% 23.7%
(Shamsuddin et al., 2015)

OBJECTIVES Frequent Fever and night-chills were more likely among subjects with
Fevers and anxiety.
(a) To determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among Night-chills (OR: 1.084, 95% CI: 1.035–1.136)
undergraduate students from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti
Teknologi MARA.
(b) To determine the associated factors to predict depression, anxiety, and
Physical limitations were more likely among subjects with
stress. Physical
anxiety.
Limitations
(OR: 1.060, 95% CI: 1.008–1.115)

MATERIALS & METHODS

Conduct of Survey Data Collection & Analysis Frequent Frequent headaches were more likely among subjects with
Headaches anxiety.
(OR: 1.069, 95% CI: 1.031–1.109)

• Higher percentage of anxiety cases were found followed-up by stress and depression.

• Medical imaging students showed a significantly higher tendencies to have depression,

anxiety and stress (P < 0.05) compared with Medical Laboratory Technology and
DASS-21 SCORING Statistical Analysis Nursing students.
Depression Anxiety Stress
Prevalence (%) • Subject with depression are more likely to experience difficulty to sleep.
Normal 0–9 0–7 0 – 14
• Subject with stress are more likely to have fatigue.
Mild 10 – 13 8–9 15 – 18 One-way ANOVA

Moderate 14 – 20 10 – 14 19 – 25 • Subject with anxiety are more likely to experience un-explained weight loss, troubled
Binary Regression Analysis sleeping, headaches, consumption of supplements and fevers.
Severe 21 – 27 15 – 19 26 – 33

Extremely Severe 28+ 20+ 34+

CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

RESULTS & DISCUSSION
While confirmatory research with larger sample size is needed, we
Prevalence suggest that intervention programs should be conducted to address issues
related to mental health among university students.
One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

It is recommended that all universities to conduct a systematic screening

and continuous monitoring of students’ mental health status.
85.1%

65% REFERENCESS
51.4% 1. Institute for Public Health (2006). Mental health status of Malaysians. The 3rd national and health morbidity survey, 2006. Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas, Bangsar,
Kuala Lumpur
2. Institute for Public Health (2011). The fourth national health and morbidity survey 2011.
http://www.iku.gov.my/index.php/research-eng/list-of-research-eng/iku-eng/nhms-eng/nhms-2011-eng .
3. Institute for Public Health (2015). National health morbidity survey and morbidity survey 2015: methodology and general findings.
http://www.iku.gov.my/images/IKU/Document/REPORT/nhmsreport2015vol1.pdf.
4. Shamsuddin, K., Fadzil, F., Ismail, W. S., Shah, S. A., Omar, K., Muhammad, N. A., . . . Mahadevan, R. (2013). Correlates of depression, anxiety and stress among Malaysian university
students. Asian J Psychiatr, 6(4), 318-323. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2013.01.014
5. World Health Organization (2018). Adolescent mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescentmental-health.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank our respondents, the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme [600-IRMI/FRGS 5/3 (010/2017)],
Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE)
Level 7, FF3 Building, UiTM Selangor Branch
Integrative Pharmacogenomics Institute (iPROMISE), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor Branch and the Centre of
This study was funded by the FRGS grant: 241910/2018/MZS/6 Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor Darul
Ehsan.
Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Selangor Branch, Puncak Alam
Email : ipromise.uitm@gmail.comTel : +603-3258 4652 | Fax :
+603-3258 465
Campus for their support. We thank the research team members for their input and contribution in data collection and
analysis.