Depression affects one in five young people globally. This statistic is especially concerning since youth make up the largest demographic group in Malaysia. The main goal of this study is to explore the factors that contribute to depression among university students. It employed a qualitative approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary method of data collection with selected participants. Participants were chosen through purposive sampling to match the study's criteria. A total of seven Muslim youths experiencing depression took part in this research. All data were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti 23. The results identified six key factors that contribute to depression among young people: self-conflict, family conflict, social conflict, financial conflict, learning conflict, and trauma. It is hoped that the findings will add value and offer guidance for developing interventions to better support youth dealing with depression.
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