Sociodemographics and clinical profiling of students seeking mental health services: a cluster analysis in a public university in Oman

Purpose Mental health heterogeneity among university students significantly influences academic performance. Depression and social anxiety may produce similar academic results through distinct mechanisms, requiring different responses. Recognising mental health as a core determinant of learning enables educators to implement differentiated, inclusive support strategies that address diverse psychological needs. Therefore, exploring whether this is also the case in other countries with different cultures is important. This study aims to address the identified gaps by using cluster analysis to examine the sociodemographic and clinical heterogeneity among students seeking mental health services in Oman, offering culturally specific insights. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective chart review study was conducted to collect clinical and sociodemographic data from university students (n = 229) who attended the student mental health clinic at one public university in Oman from 2019 to 2023. A two-step cluster analysis was used to detect naturally occurring groupings in this study. Findings Two groups emerged: Cluster 1 (n = 105) included mostly off-campus male students (80%) in Natural/Applied Sciences (42.7%), with cognitive-behavioral (14.3%) and physiological/developmental disorders (11.4%), and with fewer diagnosis changes (39.0%). Cluster 2 (n = 124) comprised on-campus (87.9%, p < 0.001) female students (100%, p < 0.001) in Health/Life Sciences (35.7%) or Social/Humanities (38.4%, p = 0.017), primarily with emotional dysregulation disorders (87.9%, p = 0.029), showing significant improvement post-intervention (82.3%, p = 0.007) than students in Cluster 1. Originality/value This study highlights diverse needs, underscoring the need for tailored interventions. For off-campus males, improve accessibility and address academic stressors. For on-campus females, focus on resilience-building. Universities should adopt holistic, cluster-specific approaches, like integrated academic-mental health services, to ensure equitable, personalized care for diverse student needs. Although two clusters were identified in this study, the proposed interventions are preliminary implications requiring further validation. Efforts should be made to improve the identification of students with mental health needs before they reach a crisis point. This could involve educational campaigns, stigma reduction, and targeted outreach to at-risk populations.