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2026-08-04
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Copyright (c) 2026 Si Peipei, Sarfraz Aslam, Chen Mo, Esayas Teshome Taddese

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How to Cite
Mental health among visually impaired, hearing impaired, and non-disabled university students: A comparative study
Si Peipei
Faculty of Education and Humanities, UNITAR International University, Petaling Jaya, 47301, Malaysia
Sarfraz Aslam
Faculty of Education and Humanities, UNITAR International University, Petaling Jaya, 47301, Malaysia
Chen Mo
Faculty of Education and Humanities, UNITAR International University, Petaling Jaya, 47301, Malaysia
Esayas Teshome Taddese
Faculty of Education and Liberal Arts, INTI International University, Nilai, 71800, Malaysia
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v11i3.4583
Keywords: anxiety; mental health; depression; mental disorder; hearing impaired university students; visually impaired university students
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the mental health status of visually impaired and hearing-impaired university students and provide evidence for mental health education in higher education institutions. A total of 548 university students were assessed using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). There were no significant differences in anxiety and depression rates among the three groups of students (p>0.05). Visually impaired students showed significantly lower anxiety scores (39.69) than hearing impaired students (44.05) and non-disabled university students (42.07) (F = 4.041, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in depression scores (F=2.231, p>0.05). Regression analysis revealed: 1) anxiety and depression levels among hearing impaired students were associated with age; 2) anxiety among visually impaired students was influenced by party and youth league support, family support, and volunteer services, while depression was associated with academic performance; 3) mental health status among non-disabled students was influenced by family economic status and being an only child. Mental health levels among disabled and non-disabled university students are comparable, and social support is a key protective factor.
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