Assessing mental health among students in the UAE: A cross-sectional study utilizing the DASS-21 scale

Background: The escalating worldwide concerns for mental health, significantly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitates understanding the impact on vulnerable populations, such as university students. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and implications of depression, anxiety, and stress among university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21). Methods: This study utilized convenience sampling to investigate the mental health of undergraduates in UAE universities using a bilingual DASS-21 questionnaire via Google Forms. Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 29.0, employing descriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests, Mann–Whitney tests, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Multinomial Logistic Regression to analyze relationships between sociodemographic variables and mental health scores. Results: The study examined 332 students, with most female participants (81 %, n = 269) and individuals aged 18–20 (89.8 %, n = 298). It revealed higher mean DASS scores among females: Depression (M = 15.80, p = 0.030), Anxiety (M = 17.63, p < 0.001), and Stress (M = 22.61, p < 0.001). Fourth-year students exhibited the highest DASS scores for depression (M = 30.33, p = 0.002), anxiety (M = 21.33, p = 0.002), and stress (M = 27.00, p = 0.005). Younger participants aged 18–20 had an odds ratio (OR) of 4.925 for depression, indicating they were approximately five times more likely to experience depression. Conclusions: This study reveals gender, age, and academic-year variations in depression, anxiety, and stress among UAE university students. Specifically, our findings indicate higher levels of anxiety and stress among females and reveal academic-year and age-related patterns in mental health conditions. University support services in the UAE should better address student needs, including counseling focused on high school to university transition challenges.