Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia

Introduction: Academic burden is a situation where students feel overwhelmed by the requirements of time and energy to attain certain academic goals, which can potentially contribute to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. This study aims to assess the level of anxiety and depression an...

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Main Authors: Intan Zulyana Zulkefli, Haliza Abdul Rahman, Azrin Shah Abu Bakar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Medsci Publications 2025-08-01
Series:National Journal of Community Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://njcmindia.com/index.php/file/article/view/5364
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author Intan Zulyana Zulkefli
Haliza Abdul Rahman
Azrin Shah Abu Bakar
author_facet Intan Zulyana Zulkefli
Haliza Abdul Rahman
Azrin Shah Abu Bakar
author_sort Intan Zulyana Zulkefli
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Academic burden is a situation where students feel overwhelmed by the requirements of time and energy to attain certain academic goals, which can potentially contribute to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. This study aims to assess the level of anxiety and depression and its associated factors with anxiety and depression among final-year health sciences undergraduates in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a public a university in Malaysia. Mental disorders in this study, which refer to anxiety and depression were measured using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The Perceptions of Academic Stress (PAS) scale was used to measure academic burden. Results: Findings revealed that 42.9% of final-year health sciences undergraduates experienced minimal anxiety and 32.8% experienced mild depression. Time constraints and study program were significantly associated with anxiety and depression, while pressures to perform were significantly associated with depression. Conclusion: The majority of final-year health sciences undergraduates have a minimal and mild level of anxiety and depression and it’s associated with time constraints, study program and pressures to perform. Therefore, university authorities need to enhance and improve mental disorders of final-year health sciences undergraduates.
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spelling doaj-art-a16d3a1e7dc44e42bdc82f29332c39fc2025-08-20T03:15:44ZengMedsci PublicationsNational Journal of Community Medicine0976-33252229-68162025-08-01160810.55489/njcm.160820255364Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in MalaysiaIntan Zulyana Zulkefli0Haliza Abdul Rahman1Azrin Shah Abu Bakar2Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences; Institute for Social Science Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Introduction: Academic burden is a situation where students feel overwhelmed by the requirements of time and energy to attain certain academic goals, which can potentially contribute to mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. This study aims to assess the level of anxiety and depression and its associated factors with anxiety and depression among final-year health sciences undergraduates in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a public a university in Malaysia. Mental disorders in this study, which refer to anxiety and depression were measured using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The Perceptions of Academic Stress (PAS) scale was used to measure academic burden. Results: Findings revealed that 42.9% of final-year health sciences undergraduates experienced minimal anxiety and 32.8% experienced mild depression. Time constraints and study program were significantly associated with anxiety and depression, while pressures to perform were significantly associated with depression. Conclusion: The majority of final-year health sciences undergraduates have a minimal and mild level of anxiety and depression and it’s associated with time constraints, study program and pressures to perform. Therefore, university authorities need to enhance and improve mental disorders of final-year health sciences undergraduates. https://njcmindia.com/index.php/file/article/view/5364AnxietyDepressionAcademic BurdenSociodemographic CharacteristicsFinal-year undergraduate health sciences students
spellingShingle Intan Zulyana Zulkefli
Haliza Abdul Rahman
Azrin Shah Abu Bakar
Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
National Journal of Community Medicine
Anxiety
Depression
Academic Burden
Sociodemographic Characteristics
Final-year undergraduate health sciences students
title Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
title_full Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
title_fullStr Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
title_short Sociodemographic and Academic Burden Factors Associated with Anxiety and Depression Among Final-Year Health Sciences Undergraduates in Malaysia
title_sort sociodemographic and academic burden factors associated with anxiety and depression among final year health sciences undergraduates in malaysia
topic Anxiety
Depression
Academic Burden
Sociodemographic Characteristics
Final-year undergraduate health sciences students
url https://njcmindia.com/index.php/file/article/view/5364
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AT halizaabdulrahman sociodemographicandacademicburdenfactorsassociatedwithanxietyanddepressionamongfinalyearhealthsciencesundergraduatesinmalaysia
AT azrinshahabubakar sociodemographicandacademicburdenfactorsassociatedwithanxietyanddepressionamongfinalyearhealthsciencesundergraduatesinmalaysia