Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders Among Undergraduate University Students in the United States: A Review

Abstract

The aim of the current review is to describe the prevalence and demographic correlates of mental health disorders among undergraduate university students in the United States. A search strategy was built and conducted using PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL to identify studies published between 2009 and 2019 on the prevalence of mental health disorders, as defined in the fourth and fifth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , in undergraduate students in the United States. A total of 12 studies were included in the final data extraction. The highest prevalence rates were identified in eating disorders, which ranged from 19% to 48%, followed by compulsive disorders (2% to 12.27%), depression (22%), posttraumatic stress disorder (8%), and sleep disorders (9.4% to 36%). The identified prevalence of mental health disorders is high, and the subsequent impact on this population is worrying. There is an urgent need to develop strategies for early screening and management of mental health services in university settings. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59 (2), 17–24.]

Changes in College Students Mental Health and Lifestyle During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies

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“…The WHO World Mental Health International College Student project displayed that one in three college students screened positive for at least one of the common lifetime mental disorders, showing a high level of need for mental health services in university contexts (Auerbach et al, 2018). Furthermore, several evidences found that college students present poorer mental health as compared to their peers in the general population (Blanco et al, 2008;Bruffaerts et al, 2019;Kang et al, 2021;Lovell, Nash, Sharman, & Lane, 2015;Rith-Najarian, Boustani, & Chorpita, 2019). Also, alcohol/substance use disorders are highly prevalent among college students (Bruffaerts et al, 2019;Cordero-Oropeza, García-Méndez, Cordero-Oropeza, Corona-Maldonado, 2021;Skidmore, Kaufman, & Crowell, 2016), which eventually may lead to suicide or attempted suicide, an ever-growing issue of concern in academic settings (Gunnel, Caul, Appleby, John, & Hawton, 2020;Mortier et al, 2018;Oh, Marinovich, Jay, Zhou, & Kim, 2021;WHO, 2016).…”