Unpacking Depression among Malaysian Accounting Students: Are Academic, Gender, and Financial Difficulties to Blame?

This study investigates the extent to which academic performance, gender, and financial difficulties predict depression levels among Malaysian undergraduate accounting students. Using a quantitative survey design, data were collected from 110 students at a public university through a structured questionnaire incorporating the Depression subscale of the DASS-21. Descriptive, correlational, and regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships among the variables. The findings reveal that academic performance is a significant negative predictor of depression, indicating that students with lower CGPAs are more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Financial difficulties also show a positive association with depression, though not statistically significant. Gender, while often highlighted in prior literature, did not emerge as a significant predictor in this sample. These results underscore the critical role of academic and financial stressors in shaping students’ mental health and highlight the need for targeted institutional interventions. The study contributes to the growing discourse on student well- being in higher education and offers practical implications for educators, policymakers, and mental health practitioners in designing support systems for at-risk student populations. These findings offer important implications for parents, educators, university administrators, and policymakers concerned with the academic well-being and mental health of university students.