Mental health need of students at entry to university: Baseline findings from the U‐Flourish Student Well‐Being and Academic Success Study

Abstract

Aim Transition to university is associated with unique stressors and coincides with the peak period of risk for onset of mental illness. Our objective in this analysis was to estimate the mental health need of students at entry to a major Canadian university. Methods After a student‐led engagement campaign, all first year students were sent a mental health survey, which included validated symptom rating scales for common mental disorders. Rates of self‐reported lifetime mental illness, current clinically significant symptoms and treatment stratified by gender are reported. The likelihood of not receiving treatment among those symptomatic and/or with lifetime disorders was estimated. Results Fifty‐eight per cent of all first‐year students (n = 3029) completed the baseline survey, of which 28% reported a lifetime mental disorder. Moreover, 30% of students screened positive for anxiety symptoms, 28% for depressive symptoms, and 18% for sleep problems with high rates (≅45%) of associated impairment. Only 8.5% of students indicated currently receiving any form of treatment. Females were more likely to report a lifetime diagnosis, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as current treatment. Over 25% of students reported lifetime suicidal thoughts and 6% suicide attempt(s). Current weekly binge drinking (25%) and cannabis use (11%) were common, especially in males. Conclusions There is limited systematically collected data describing the mental health needs of young people at entry to university. Findings of this study underscore the importance of timely identification of significant mental health problems as part of a proactive system of effective student mental health care.

Predictors of mental health and academic outcomes in first-year university students: Identifying prevention and early-intervention targets

“…At entry to university 29% of students endorsed lifetime suicidal thoughts, 6% suicide attempts and 18% self-harm. 14 While at university, 14% of students indicated having had suicidal thoughts, 1.6% having made a suicide attempt and 6% reported having self-harmed. Females had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and self-harm at time 2 compared to males, but unlike at time 1 these differences did not reach statistical significance (15% v. 13%, P = 0.323; 7% v. 4%, P = 0.063, respectively).…”

“…13 Briefly, U-Flourish is a longitudinal prospective study of a large cohort of undergraduate students representative of the first-year student body at Queen's University. 14 During the first few weeks of starting university (September 2018) all first-year students were sent a link via their student email to a Letter of Information and after providing consent completed the time 1 survey. This survey asked about demographic, family and personal health information and included brief validated measures of candidate distal and proximal risk factors including early loss, childhood adversity, social, psychological and lifestyle risk factors, as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts and self-harm.…”

“…Participants A total of 3029 first-year undergraduate students (58%) completed the time 1 survey at entry to university and as reported elsewhere were representative of the 5242 eligible first-year undergraduate population. 14 The current analysis included 1530 participants who completed both the time 1 and time 2 surveys and self-identified as either male or female (supplementary Fig. 1 available at https:// doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.24).…”

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Anxiety and Depression in Students at a Greek University during Covid-19 Lockdown

“…Recent epidemiological studies have documented that university students are confronted with unique stressors and financial pressure; the transition to a new, competitive and demanding environment where they are asked to develop responsibility, to make important life choices, and form new social networks along with the separation from the core family are some of the stressors that increase the risk of mental health problems. 6 Further, university students are at the age of a high risk for the onset of mental illness. 7 During lockdown, university students had additional obstacles to face.…”

Desmotivação acadêmica: buscando compreender a realidade

“…Os colegas têm uma função de suporte, mesmo quando há um ambiente de competição e desunião 29 . Assim, é necessário identificar-se problemas de saúde mental, por parte de um sistema de atendimento aos estudantes 30 .…”