Mental health of university students in Mongolia and Inner Mongolia: A DASS-21 comparison

TONGGALAGA ,  Erdenechimeg Sharavdorj

Corresponding Author: Erdenechimeg Sharavdorj

¹Department of Psychology, National University of Mongolia, Mongolia, qingtiangaga@163.com

²Department of Psychology, National University of Mongolia, Mongolia, sherdenechimeg@gmail.com

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.53468/mifyr.2025.05.02.65

Abstract— This study aimed to comparatively assess the mental health status of university students in Mongolia and China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), based on the stress-vulnerability theoretical framework. The study was conducted in six public universities in Mongolia and six public universities in Inner Mongolia, covering students from the 1st to 5th year of study. A total of 2,661 samples were recruited, with 1,334 students from Mongolia and 1,327 students from Inner Mongolia. The results showed that Inner Mongolian students exhibited a higher prevalence of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, stress) than Mongolian students; female students and medical students had higher mental health risk levels; and first-year and third-year students reported more severe psychological symptoms than those in other grades. These findings indicate that regional, gender, academic year, and disciplinary factors significantly influence university students’ mental health, highlighting the necessity of formulating targeted, culturally adapted mental health intervention strategies for different student groups.

Keywords— Mental Health, University Students, DASS-21 Scale, Cross-Cultural Comparison and Demographic Differences (Gender & Grade)

Article History: Received 29 May 2025, Received in revised form 30 May 2025, Accepted 19 June 2025

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