EXPLORING FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH

Abstract

Mental health challenges among university students can adversely affect academic performance, social relationships, and overall well-being, highlighting the need to better understand the factors associated with these conditions. This study analysed a publicly available dataset comprising 101 university students using exploratory data analysis, Firth-penalised logistic regression, and Fisher’s exact test to examine associations between demographic and academic characteristics, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and treatment-seeking behaviour. Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks were reported by 34.7%, 33.7%, and 32.7% of respondents, respectively, while only 5.9% sought specialist treatment; after adjustment for gender, age, marital status, and cumulative grade point average, marital status was significantly associated with depression and panic attacks, whereas gender, age, and CGPA were not independently associated with the mental health outcomes. The findings highlight the importance of distinguishing descriptive patterns from independently associated factors and suggest the need for accessible mental health support that recognises the varied personal circumstances of university students.