Mental health of university students: a cross-sectional study from Qatar

Abstract

This study explored the prevalence, associated factors, and management strategies related to mental health among university students in Qatar. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among students aged 18 and older. Data were collected on self-reported mental health diagnoses, perceived stress, management strategies, and demographic factors utilizing a self-reported electronic questionnaire. Descriptive, bi-variable, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations and trends. Among 812 participants (mean age 21.4 years, 84.6% female), 45.5% reported a history of mental illness, with anxiety (38.2%) and depression (27.9%) being most common. A dose–response relationship with life events was observed, whereby students reporting multiple life events had higher odds of a mental illness diagnosis, ranging from OR 2.21 (95% CI 1.40–3.50) for two life events to OR 5.11 (95% CI 2.10–12.42) for five events or more. Despite this burden, only 7.6% of the participants reported that they were seeing a counselor at the time of the survey. The findings reveal a concerning prevalence of mental health conditions among university students in Qatar, particularly anxiety and depression and highlight the urgent need for strategies promoting resilience and mental wellbeing to improve students’ mental health and academic success.