Introduction:

mental health is crucial for university students’ well-being and academic performance. Kinesiology and Physical Therapy students face unique challenges that can affect their mental health.

Objective:

to determine the frequency of common mental disorders in kinesiology and physical therapy students at the Universidad Nacional de Asunción.

Methodology:

this was an observational and descriptive cross-sectional study. The nonprobabilistic sample included 150 Kinesiology and Physiotherapy students from the Universidad Nacional de Asunción. Sociodemographic, academic, occupational, lifestyle, and psychopathological data were collected using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21). The analysis was performed using Jamovi with multivariate binomial logistic regression.

Results:

the frequency of depression, anxiety, and stress was 61.3 %, 72 %, and 54.7 %, respectively. The significant factors for depression included being an irregular student, working, and not engaging in physical activity. For anxiety, being an irregular student and being a woman were significant. Regarding stress, being an irregular student, working, and not engaging in physical activity were found to be relevant. The resulting models had correct classifications of 90.2 %, 88 %, and 72 % for depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively.

Conclusion:

this study revealed a high frequency of depression, anxiety, and stress among kinesiology and physical therapy students, which was significantly associated with academic irregularity, employment, and a lack of physical activity. These findings underscore the need to implement intervention strategies and support programs that address these risk factors in order to promote the mental health and well-being of future health professionals.

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