A cross-sectional study was conducted investigating the association between exposure to financial, political, academic and social stressors, and symptoms of depression, anxiety and burnout among university students in Lebanon. Lebanon is a developing country experiencing a financial crisis and sociopolitical turmoil with poorly characterized impacts on the mental health of residents. To assess burnout and symptoms of depression, anxiety, a condensed version of the Malach-Pines Burnout Measure and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) were used, respectively. Out of 240 respondents, 52.3% experienced burnout, 29.3% experienced high/very high burnout, and 54.2% reported symptoms of depression, anxiety. Women had poorer mental health outcomes. The strongest associations were between little sleep and burnout (aOR = 6.78, p < 0.001) and symptoms of depression, anxiety (aOR = 2.84, p < 0.001). Exposure to high financial and COVID-19 pandemic stressors were associated with high levels of burnout and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the gravity of the psychological state of university students in Lebanon, as they navigate through the struggles of an uncertain future.
Keywords: Crisis; Economic recession; Mental health; Uncertainty.
© 2025. The Author(s).