Mental health trajectories among Malaysian university students: A repeated cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound effect on university students' mental health worldwide. As debates continue about whether these negative impacts will persist or gradually diminish over time, this study examined changes in mental health indicators and protective factors among Malaysian university students between the late-pandemic period (2023) and the post-pandemic recovery phase (2025). Using a repeated cross-sectional design, two independent samples of full-time Malaysian university students aged 18-24 years were surveyed (2023: n = 547; 2025: n = 551). Participants completed validated measures of depression, anxiety, stress, suicidality, perceived social support, emotional intelligence, and hope. Results indicated significant reductions in depressive symptoms, stress, and suicidality from 2023 to 2025, accompanied by significant increases in perceived social support, emotional intelligence, and hope, all with small effect sizes. Perceived social support across family, friends, and significant others shifted from the moderate range in 2023 to the high range in 2025. In contrast, anxiety levels did not differ significantly between the two time points. These findings suggest partial psychological recovery among Malaysian university students in the post-pandemic period, characterised by improvements in several mental health indicators and protective psychosocial resources. However, the persistence of elevated anxiety underscores the need for continued institutional support, targeted interventions, and longitudinal research to address ongoing mental health challenges among university students.