Mental health status and associated factors in first year undergraduate students.

Abstract

Background : First year undergraduate students have to adjust themselves to the new environment in both academic and social life. However, there are few studies on the mental health status of the students.

Objectives : To study mental health status and associated factors among first year undergraduate students.

Methods : Data were collected from 993 of first year undergraduate students of Chulalongkorn University. The self-report questionnaire included: 1) Personal and academic information, and 2) Thai Mental Health Indicators (TMHI-66). Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to determine the associated factors with mental health status among these students.

Results : Most students (41.2%) had a moderate level of mental health status. There are 16 factors associated with poor mental health status among the 1^st year students namely: male gender, studying in faculties of social sciences, urban family background, poor relationship within the family, poor relationship with friends, less participation in university and faculty activities, high family income, high budget support from family, living with parents in their own houses, dissatisfaction of their faculty, perception of inadequacy of their own budget support and family income, having many of close friends, healthy parents, dissatisfaction of their living.

Conclusion : The mental health status of this group of subjects is comparable with other studies in Thailand.