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May 25, 2026Open Access

Depression, anxiety, stress and adverse childhood experience among first-year university students

SASamah Khalid AlharthiUniversity of Jeddah SASulhi A. AlfakehKing Abdulaziz University JAJumana Turki AljohaniKing Fahad Hospital Jeddah

Puntos clave

This research aims to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and adverse childhood experiences among first-year university students.
Survey-based study conducted among 839 first-year students at King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia.
Participants completed an Arabic version of the DASS-21 tool to measure psychological distress.
Responses were analyzed regarding demographics, stress levels, and adverse childhood experiences.
High levels of stress (92.4%), depression (70.3%), and anxiety (70.1%) reported among students.
29% of participants who were smokers experienced severe depression.
30.3% of respondents achieved the highest level of adverse childhood experiences, with boys reporting more ACEs than girls.

Resumen

A BSTRACT Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the levels of Depression, Anxiety, Stress (DAS) and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in first-year university students in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A survey-based study was conducted utilizing an electronic survey distributed through the university’s blackboard system. The survey was completed by 839 King Abdulaziz University first-year students between 17 and 25. The study is making use of the DASS-21 tool in its Arabic version to measure levels of psychological distress. Results: The study includes 839 first-year students and the results showed high levels of Stress (ST) (92.4%), Depression (DE) (70.3%), and Anxiety (AX) (70.1%) in our study population. A large proportion of the participants exhibited highly severe DE, ST, and moderate AX. Furthermore, a significant proportion of respondents experienced highly severe ST, regardless of their participation in sports. Additionally, 29% of the respondents were smokers and had severe DE. Among the participants, 30.3% achieved the highest ACE level of 10. Males reported higher number of ACEs than females, with a mean ACE score of 8.8 versus 6.5. The mean ACE score was also significantly associated with monthly household income. Overall, students with normal DAS reported significantly higher mean ACE scores. Conclusion: The utilization of programs designed to identify students who have experienced adverse childhood events to take necessary precautions in their academic pursuits and to find those struggling with mental health issues and provide appropriate help and assistance is of utmost importance.

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