Self-medication practices and their relationship with the psychological wellbeing in university employees of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress (DAS) and their association with self-medication (SM) practices among university employees in Saudi Arabia, along with the key sociodemographic determinants. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online survey from July 2022 to June 2023. A total of 383 university employees from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, were included through non-probability sampling. Data were collected on sociodemographic variables, self-medication behavior, and psychological distress using validated DAS Scale (DASS-21). SM practices were analyzed in relation to DAS scores using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, t-tests, and univariate logistic regression. Results: Among 383 participants, 71% were male. Prevalence of self-medication (SM) was 60.8%. Overall, 25.1% of participants exhibited symptoms of depression, 39% had anxiety, and 21.9% reported stress. Among individuals who were engaged in SM, the prevalence of depression was 16.2% (n=62), anxiety 27.7% (n=106), and stress 15.1% (n=58). Anxiety showed a significant association with SM (p=0.002), while depression (p=0.669) and stress (p=0.087) did not. Mean anxiety (8.34 vs. 5.79; p=0.002) and stress scores (9.28 vs. 6.97; p=0.013) were significantly higher in SM users. Univariate regression revealed that moderate anxiety was strongly associated with SM (OR=3.6; 95% CI: 1.77–7.29; p=0.003). No significant associations were observed for depression or stress. Conclusion: Self-medication is common among university employees in Saudi Arabia and is significantly associated with anxiety, particularly at moderate levels. These findings emphasize the need for awareness programs addressing mental health and the risks associated with unsupervised medication use, particularly in academic settings.