Abstract:

Background: Psychological distress among students may adversely influence their academic performance, contribute to academic dishonesty and play a role in alcohol and substance abuse. Student distress has also been reported to be associated with cynicism, an unwillingness to care for the chronically ill and decreased empathy.

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety disorders among undergraduate students in Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS) in Mwanza Tanzania.

Methodology: A cross-section study was conducted among 349 students from five different courses in CUHAS. Questionnaire for socio-demographic data and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) for anxiety screening was used to obtained data, obtained data was analyzed by computer using SPSS program.

Results: Out of 349 undergraduates participants in the study, 85 students (24.4%) had anxiety of which 29 students (8.3%) had mild anxiety, 23 students (6.6%) had moderate anxiety, 17 students (4.9%) had severe anxiety and 16 students (4.6%) had very severe anxiety. The associated variables are gender and course of study.

Conclusion and recommendation; There is high prevalence of anxiety disorders among undergraduates students at CUHAS hence the need of the government to have routine program of screening and managing anxiety disorders in university students so as to improve their mental health which in turn it will improve their performance.