Mental well-being among health science specialty female students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Background Well-being includes the physical, social, and emotional dimensions of a person’s state. University students experience increased levels of psychological and academic distress, mostly affecting their mental well-being. This study employed a descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design to assess the level of mental well-being among health sciences students at three health science colleges at King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Convenience total sampling was used to select 339 female undergraduate students from the three faculties. A questionnaire consisting of two parts—a sociodemographic datasheet and the Arabic version of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) without modifications to assess individuals’ mental well-being—was distributed, with data collection lasting for one month (February 2019). Results Participants had an average level of mental well-being, with the highest recorded among students from the College of Pharmacy and the lowest recorded among the students from the College of Nursing. The study findings revealed no significant correlations or differences in the mental well-being of the questionnaire respondents according to sociodemographic variables. Conclusions It is important to assess the mental well-being of students to detect any possible mental illnesses or disturbances and address any issues so as to support their academic achievement.

Keywords

• Health science
• Medicine
• Mental well-being
• Nursing
• Pharmacy
• Saudi Arabia