Depression, Anxiety, Stress And Wellbeing Of Young Psychology Students In Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Abstract

Young university students are increasingly experiencing depression anxiety and low wellbeing particularly in LMICs like Pakistan. This is especially alarming among psychology students as it compromises their ability to provide relief to persons with mental health concerns. This study explored depression, anxiety, stress and wellbeing among 321 Pakistani psychology students. Urdu trnaslated DASS-21 and BBC Wellbeing scale were used to collect data through convenient sampling. Ninety percent of the sample was females. Results indicated high rates of depression (51.6%), anxiety (62%) and stress (41.4%). Low overall, psychological, physical and relationship wellbeing was reported by 52%, 51.6%, 58.6% and 50.6% students, respectively. Comorbidity of depression and anxiety was 46.1%. This study provided a baseline for rates of mental health concerns among psychology students. These results illustrate the enormousness of mental health problems among Pakistani psychology students and are calling for immediate intervention and preventive measures.