Cross-cultural comparative study of the risk of mental health disorders among young adult university students in Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND: Mental health disorders have been noted as public health menaces that can derail the development of individuals such as young adults. The risk and negative effects of mental health disorders have been widely studied in Western contexts. However, in the non-Western context, research on the risk of mental health disorders is very limited. The purpose of this study was to explore the risk of mental health disorders among young adults across Bangladesh, Egypt, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates. METHODS: A total of 1871 young adults completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, which was validated via confirmatory factor analysis. Frequency counts, analysis of variance and linear regression were computed to understand the associations between demographics and the domains of mental health disorders. RESULTS: The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 was found to be a valid instrument, and the prevalence of mental health disorders ranged between 15% and 18%. However, the risk of mental health disorders seemed to be greater among young adults from Bangladesh than among those from the other three countries. CONCLUSIONS: This study recommends tailored mental health disorder awareness programs in the countries where data are collected. Specifically, targeted training could be designed by policymakers on the basis of characteristics such as age and gender.