Prevalence of Mental Distress and Its Correlates among Assiut University Students

Objective: To estimate the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of mental
distress among Assiut university students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study
was carried out. A multi-stage stratified cluster sampling technique was used. Data were
collected by using self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included the sociodemographic
characteristics of the students in addition to a group of questions derived
from the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) that was developed by the WHO to screen
for mental disturbances especially in developing countries. Results: This study included
828 of Assiut University students. Mental distress was diagnosed in 17.1% of students. By
logistic regression analysis, university or higher education of the parents and higher
educational achievement in the past year were protective from mental distress. On the
other hand, female gender, bad perceived health status, previous exposure to violence and
family history of mental health problems were significantly associated with presence of
mental distress among the studied group. An intervention program is recommended to
raise the awareness about the importance of mental health status among students, parents
and university administrators and to overcome factors associated with mental distress.