Mental Health Assessment of Faculty Members Using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-42 (DASS-42): A Descriptive-Comparative Study at Aldersgate College, Inc.

Mental health challenges among faculty in higher education represent a significant occupational health concern worldwide. Objective: This study assessed the depression, anxiety, and stress levels of the RDE and High School Departments at Aldersgate College, Inc. using the DASS-42. Methods: A descriptive-comparative design was employed with 31 full-time faculty members (67.7% female). Descriptive statistics characterized DASS-42 subscale scores; Independent Samples t-tests compared mental health scores across sex and department groups following Shapiro-Wilk normality testing. Results: Although Stress yielded the highest raw mean score (M = 16.71, SD = 8.05), Anxiety emerged as the most clinically urgent concern when interpreted against DASS-42 severity band thresholds, with 61.3% of faculty scoring at Severe or Extremely Severe levels (M = 16.23, SD = 7.46). Depression was elevated for 48.4% of respondents at Moderate-to-Extremely Severe levels (M = 13.74, SD = 7.59). Stress, despite its higher mean, fell only in the Mild-to-Moderate severity range, with 12.9% in the Severe or above category. No statistically significant differences were found by sex or department (all p > .05). Conclusion: Mental health burden among faculty is substantial and institution-wide, cutting across sex and departmental lines. Immediate interventions including counseling services, workload management, and a systemic mental health program are urgently recommended.