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Thursday, September 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) – According to a new study, more than one in three first-year students in the world have mental health problems.
"The number of students who need treatment for these disorders far exceeds the resources of most counseling centers, resulting in a substantial unmet need," said the author of Randy Auerbach's study, from Columbia University to New York.
"Colleges need to take more urgency to tackle this problem," he said in a statement from the American Psychological Association.
In this study, researchers analyzed data collected from nearly 14,000 students from 19 colleges in eight countries: Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain and the United States.
Students answered questions designed to assess their mental health and identify common disorders, such as major depression, anxiety disorder and panic disorder.
The study, published on September 13 in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, showed that 35% of first-year students had symptoms corresponding to at least one mental health problem.
Major depressive disorder was the most common condition among students, but many were also affected by generalized anxiety disorder.
"The finding that one-third of students from several countries have tested positive for at least one of six mental health disorders is a key global mental health issue," Auerbach said.
Earlier this week, another study revealed a similar and disturbing trend. Of more than 67,000 American students surveyed in this study, over 20% reported experiencing stressful events in the past year, strongly associated with mental health issues, including self-harm, suicidal ideation, or suicide.
But Auerbach's team said previous research has also shown that only 15% to 20% of students are asking for help at their school's counseling center, which may already be struggling to meet the growing demand. Services. The authors of the study therefore suggest that students consult online, for example in cognitive behavioral therapy.
"Academic systems are currently working at capacity and counseling centers tend to be cyclical, with students intensifying their use of services by the middle of the semester, which often creates a bottleneck," Auerbach said.
"Internet-based clinical tools can be helpful in providing treatment to students who are less likely to pursue services on campus or who are waiting to be seen," he said.
The authors of the study added that more research is needed to identify the most effective forms of treatment for specific disorders.
"Our long-term goal is to develop predictive models to determine which students will respond to different types of interventions," said Auerbach.
More information
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has more information on the management of mental illness in college.
SOURCE: American Psychological Association, press release, September 13, 2018
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