{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T15:29:15Z","timestamp":1792596555154,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]],"date-time":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748563200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100010269","name":"Wellcome","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["226589"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["226589"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100010269","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"\n Objective<\/jats:title>\n While mental health conditions play a significant role in the global disease burden, their determinants and predictors are still not well understood in Kenya. This study examined the prevalence of mental health conditions among university students and the factors associated with them.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n This cross-sectional study evaluated 1,424 students at Pwani University in Kenya, assessing anxiety, depression, and psychosis, using validated screening tools: the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Psychosis Screening Questionnaire (PSQ). The Chi-square tests analyzed associations, while binary logistic regression identified predictors. Confounders were controlled using multivariable adjustments, with model selection based on both clinical relevance and statistical significance of the variables.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n The prevalence of mental health conditions among students was 30.9%. Those from unsupportive families exhibited the highest prevalence at 35.2% (\n \u03c7<\/jats:italic>\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f94.91,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001), while first-year students reported the highest rate among academic levels at 40.7% (\n \u03c7<\/jats:italic>\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f24.38,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001). Students aged 25\u201329\u202fyears were 2.6 times more likely to experience mental health conditions (OR\u202f=\u202f2.6, 95% CI: 1.67\u20133.98,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f&lt;\u202f0.001). Access to mental health services (\n \u03c7<\/jats:italic>\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f4.62,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.032) and mental health insurance (\n \u03c7<\/jats:italic>\n 2<\/jats:sup>\n \u202f=\u202f4.11,\n p<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f0.043) were associated with lower odds of mental health conditions, thereby reducing the risk by 34 and 33%, respectively.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n The findings highlight the urgent need for age-sensitive, student-centered mental health interventions in Kenyan universities. Specifically, universities should implement targeted support programs for first-year and final-year students who face unique mental health risks due to transitional and graduation-related stressors. Additionally, integrating family engagement initiatives to strengthen family support structures can serve as a protective factor against mental health challenges. Policies aimed at expanding access to mental health insurance and services should also be prioritized. Given the use of non-probabilistic sampling, findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research should investigate longitudinal trends to establish causal relationships and inform the development of evidence-based policies.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2025.1557058","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]],"date-time":"2025-05-30T11:52:23Z","timestamp":1748605943000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Understanding mental health among university students in Kenya: what role do family support and age play?"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Bylhah","family":"Mugotitsa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Reinpeter","family":"Momanyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joseph","family":"Kuria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Amadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jacob","family":"Masai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eric","family":"Angula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benjamin","family":"Tsofa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jay","family":"Greenfield","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jim","family":"Todd","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agnes","family":"Kiragga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","article-title":"World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.3934\/publichealth.2021004","article-title":"Risk factors associated with stress, anxiety, and depression among undergraduate students","volume":"8","author":"Mofatteh","year":"2020","journal-title":"AIMS Public Health"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"282","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2021.03.054","article-title":"Prevalence and risk factors for mental health problems in university undergraduate students: a systematic review with meta-analysis","volume":"287","author":"Sheldon","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Affect Disord"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1037\/abn0000362","article-title":"WHO world mental health surveys international college student project: prevalence and distribution of mental disorders","volume":"127","author":"Auerbach","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Abnorm Psychol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104421","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amsu.2022.104421","article-title":"Accessing mental health Services in Africa: current state, efforts, challenges, and recommendation","volume":"81","author":"Nicholas","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann Med Surg (Lond)"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1007\/s11524-020-00506-x","article-title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students\u2019 health and financial stability in new York City: findings from a population-based sample of City University of new York (CUNY) students","volume":"98","author":"Jones","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Urban Health"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1533","DOI":"10.4314\/ahs.v21i4.6","article-title":"Depression, anxiety, and stress among Ugandan university students during the COVID-19 lockdown: an online survey","volume":"21","author":"Najjuka","year":"2021","journal-title":"Afr Health Sci"},{"key":"ref8","year":"2022"},{"key":"ref9","article-title":"Kenya mental health policy (1). 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