Mental Distress Among Public University Students in Bangladesh: Prevalence and Associated Factors Using the DASS-21

Background: This study was conducted to identify the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among public university students in Bangladesh using the DASS-21 scale and its associated factors. Methods: A total of 986 undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled at public universities in Bangladesh took part in a cross-sectional survey conducted via face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire, with its semi-structured format, was used for data collection and the DASS-21 was applied to assess the mental well-being of the respondents. The severity of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms was measured, along with the identification of the associated variables through the use of descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multinomial logistic regression (p < 0.05). Results: These findings revealed that 80.5%, 67.7%, and 85.6% reported at least mild depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively; 27.7%, 12.6%, and 27.3% reported symptoms of extremely severe depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Suicidal thoughts, sleep problems, health difficulties, and reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables were found to be significantly associated with greater symptom severity using multinomial logistic regression. While the female gender was linked to extremely severe anxiety, the academic year was also substantially connected with all three outcomes. Stress, anxiety, and depression all showed positive correlations; the highest correlation was found between stress and depression (Cramer’s V = 0.497). Conclusions: In conclusion, these findings indicate a high burden of self-reported psychological distress symptoms among public university students, highlighting the need for immediate mental health support and interventions.