Prevalence, age-of-onset, and course of mental disorders among 72,288 first-year university students from 18 countries in the World Mental Health International College Student (WMH-ICS) initiative 2025 (English)In: Journal of Psychiatric Research, ISSN 0022-3956, E-ISSN 1879-1379, Vol. 183, p. 225-236Article in journal (Refereed) Published

Abstract [en]

Background: The college years are a developmentally sensitive period for mental disorder onset. Reliable epidemiological data are critical for informing public health responses. This study aimed to estimate prevalence and socio-demographic distributions of common DSM-5 mental disorders among first-year university students from 77 universities across 18 countries. Methods: Data were collected 2017-2023 in the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative with n = 72,288 university students. Online surveys assessed alcohol use, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, bipolar, drug use, generalized anxiety, major depression, panic, and post-traumatic stress disorders with validated screening scales. Socio-demographics included student age, sex at birth, gender modality, sexual orientation, and parent education. Results: The weighted mean response rate was 20.8%. Data were calibrated for differential response rates by sex at birth and age. 65.2% of respondents screened positive for lifetime mental disorders and 57.4% for 12-month mental disorders. Females had higher prevalence of internalizing disorders and males of substance and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorders. Older age was associated with lower prevalence of most 12-month but not lifetime mental disorders. Non-heterosexual sexual orientation and identifying as transgender were associated with highest prevalence of most mental disorders. Parent education was for the most part uncorrelated with prevalence. Conclusions: Although prevalence might have been overestimated due to the low response rate and possible screening scale miscalibration, results nonetheless suggest that mental disorders are highly prevalent among first-year university students worldwide and are widely distributed with respect to socio-demographic characteristics. These findings highlight the need to implement effective interventions to better support first-year university student mental health.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD , 2025. Vol. 183, p. 225-236

Keywords [en]

College students; Mental disorders; WMH-ICS

National Category

Psychiatry

Identifiers

URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-212341DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.02.016ISI: 001439350600001PubMedID: 40010072Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85219009006OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-212341DiVA, id: diva2:1945696

Note

Funding Agencies|National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) [R56MH109566]; National Insti-tute of Mental Health [NIMH R01MH070884]; John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Pfizer Foundation; US Public Health Service [R13-MH066849, R01-MH069864, R01 DA016558]; Fogarty International Center [FIRCA R03-TW006481]; Eli Lilly and Company; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Suicide Pre-vention Australia; Feilman Foundation; National Health and Medical Research Council [2032058]; Belgian Fund for Scientific Research [11N0514N/11N0516N/1114717N]; King Baudouin Foundation [2014- J2140150-102905]; Ministry of Education [EDC-E3738, IIT- H6U-BX-I002]; Mental Health Systems and Services Laboratory at the University of British Columbia.Chile [NCS2021_081]; Chilean National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development, FONDECYT [1221230]; ANID/PFCHA/DOCTORADO EN EL EXTRANJERO BECAS [CHILE/2019-72200092]; Wofoo Joseph Lee Consulting and Counselling Psychology Research Centre, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR); France: Institut Universitaire de France.Germany: BARMER; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologa (Mexican Na-tional Council of Science and Technology); Grant CONACYT [285548]; ZonMw (Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development) [636110005]; Fonds voor de Geestelijke Volksgezondheid); Rutherford Discovery Fellowship; James Hume Bequest Fund; European Union's INTERREG VA programme [CHI/5433/18]; Romanian National Author-ity for Scientific Research, CNCS-UEFISCDI [PN-III-P2- 2.1-PED-2021-3882]; Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Ministry of Health and King Saud University; King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Cen-ter; Ministry of Economy & Planning, General Authority; South African Medical Research Council under the MCD Programme; Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) - European Union [PI20/00006]; Departament de Recerca i Universitats of the Gen-eralitat de Catalunya (AGAUR) [2021 SGR 00624, CB06/02/0046]; Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci on and Uni on Europea; Swedish Research Council [2019-01127]; Public Health Agency in Sweden [04252-2021-2.3.2]

Available from: 2025-03-19 Created: 2025-03-19 Last updated: 2025-03-19

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