Mental disorders among college students in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys

Abstract

Background Although mental disorders are significant predictors of educational attainment throughout the entire educational career, most research on mental disorders among students has focused on the primary and secondary school years. Methods The World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys were used to examine the associations of mental disorders with college entry and attrition by comparing college students (n = 1,572) and nonstudents in the same age range (18–22; n = 4,178), including nonstudents who recently left college without graduating (n = 702) based on surveys in 21 countries (4 low/lower-middle income, 5 upper middle-income, 1 lower-middle or upper-middle at the times of two different surveys, and 11 high income). Lifetime and 12-month prevalence and age-of-onset of DSM-IV anxiety, mood, behavioural and substance disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results One-fifth (20.3%) of college students had 12-month DSM-IV/CIDI disorders. 83.1% of these cases had pre-matriculation onsets. Disorders with pre-matriculation onsets were more important than those with post-matriculation onsets in predicting subsequent college attrition, with substance disorders and, among women, major depression the most important such disorders. Only 16.4% of students with 12-month disorders received any 12-month healthcare treatment for their mental disorders. Conclusions Mental disorders are common among college students, have onsets that mostly occur prior to college entry, in the case of pre-matriculation disorders are associated with college attrition, and are typically untreated. Detection and effective treatment of these disorders early in the college career might reduce attrition and improve educational and psychosocial functioning.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among college students and same-aged peers: results from the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys

“…Indeed, rates of STB with onset prior to age 18 were high, and were associated with both the inability to enter college as well as with attrition from college. These findings are in line with previous research on selection effects at college entrance due to adverse mental health [14,15] but also on the negative association between STB and academic performance during college [16,17]. Importantly, we could not find support for a direct protective effect of the college environment on STB, as rates of post-matriculation STB did not significantly differ between students and attriters.…”

Non-suicidal self-injuries in a sample of Mexican university students

“…Some have suggested that the number of persons that self-injure has risen in the last decade, especially among adolescents and young adults, although this may be due to greater attention on this behavior from the media and researchers (Auerbach et al, 2016;Klonsky, 2007). Multiple factors may account for the elevated rates of NSSI among young adults.…”

“…In a study of surveys carried out in 21 countries, an estimated 20% of university students met criteria for a mental disorder (Auerbach et al, 2016). In the case of the Mexican university population, Melo-Carrillo, Van Oudenhove and López-Avila (2012) found that among Mexican medical students 36.29% of the students scored positive for depressive symptoms.…”

Factor structure and construct validity of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) among Portuguese college students

“…Mental illness in college students is a significant public health problem, but only a small minority of students have received adequate and timely treatment 1 . Entering college represents a demanding transition to adulthood 2 and in some cases mental health problems have pre-matriculation onsets 1 .…”

“…Entering college represents a demanding transition to adulthood 2 and in some cases mental health problems have pre-matriculation onsets 1 .…”