One in three students at Freshman College report that symptoms of mental disorders, a new study

To better understand the mental health of first-year students around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a global survey on the prevalence of mental disorders among first-year students. And they found that one in three first-year students showed signs of psychological distress. The study, published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, examines the prevalence of major depression, anxiety disorders, mania, panic disorder and substance use among first-year students in eight industrialized countries. The researchers found that 35% of the 13,984 students surveyed reported having had one of these disorders at one point, while 31% reported having faced these problems in the 12 months preceding the survey.

according to The Guardian, Major depression was the most common disorder reported in the first year, while anxiety followed closely. The average age of onset of these disorders was 14 years old. The lead author of the study, Randy Auerbach, a researcher on depression and suicide and Columbia University, said: The Guardian that "the rates of trouble are alarming […] We found that these disorders were widely distributed among the student population, suggesting that we need to do more to better understand mental health issues on university campuses. "

The American Psychological Association (APA) reports that Auerbach and his team wrote the study as part of the student initiative of the WHO World Mental Health College. The initiative surveyed students from 19 colleges from eight countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa. , Spain and the United States. The APA also reports that, despite the prevalence of mental health disorders among young adults, previous research indicates that only 15 to 20 percent of students seek services to solve their mental health problems. Auerbach told APA that university counseling centers "are currently working in capacity and that counseling centers tend to be cyclical, with students intensifying their use towards the middle of the semester, which often creates a bottleneck d & # 39; strangulation. Services outside of their school's counseling center, Auerbach recommends internet-based counseling services that can help if local resources are not available at any given time.

The Guardian Other reports that many freshmen in the university have arrived at school with pre-existing mental health issues. According to the United Kingdom's Bureau of National Statistics, the suicide rate has increased alarmingly in the United Kingdom in the last five years among 15-19 year olds, although rates are lower than in the 1980s, according to the United Kingdom. The Guardian. According to the APA, further research is needed to determine what types of treatments and interventions work best for different mental health disorders. For example, Internet-based counseling may work well for some students struggling with anxiety or depression, while those struggling with addiction may do better in-person counseling.

If you suffer from depression and anxiety, or mental health problems, know that help and treatment are available. Life's challenges and major transitions can be difficult to juggle, but with support and good intervention, it is absolutely possible to navigate.