The prevalence and predictors of mental health diagnoses and suicide among U.S. college students: Implications for addressing disparities in service use

Abstract

The high rate of multiple stress exposures among the U.S. college population and the high impacts of stress on MH and suicidality point to an urgent need for service utilization strategies, especially among racial/ethnic, sexual, or gender minorities. Campuses must consider student experiences to mitigate stress during this developmental period.

The challenges and mental health issues of academic trainees

“…It is possible that medical students have a higher socioeconomic status overall and therefore medical students from an ethnic minority do not experience more economic challenges than white medical students. Students of colour, especially black students, are less likely to seek mental health services compared to white students 62, [111][112][113] . Moreover, minority students may experience additional race-related stress, in the form of MEES (mundane extreme environmental stress, also called "microaggressions"), isolation, and stereotype threat 12,111 .…”

“…As may be expected, LGBTQ+ students face additional challenges, unique to their identity. There is evidence that homosexual students experience poorer mental health and higher suicidality compared to heterosexual students 111,116 with bisexual students especially at risk. Kerr, Santurri & Peters found female bisexual students to be 3.1 times as likely to report a depression diagnosis, twice as likely to report anxious and depressive symptoms, and almost five times as likely to report suicidality and self-harm, compared to heterosexual female students.…”

“…Meanwhile, Liu and colleagues reported that bisexual students were 1.5 times more likely to report a mental health diagnosis or suicidality than homosexual students, and 3.9 times more likely compared to heterosexual students. Furthermore, they report that over half had experienced suicidal ideation and a quarter had made attempts on their lives 111 . Eisenberg and colleagues also found that bisexual students were at particular risk of experiencing depression 47 .…”

The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety Among the University Graduates in Bangladesh: How Far Does it Affect the Society?

“…The reason is attributed to the fact that most of these students irrespective of gender or institute attended are faced with challenges such as arguments between parents, loved ones involved in drugs, college discontentment, having heavy daily workloads, unsatisfied academic performance, sometimes feeling someone else is being favored academically, difficulty meeting parents expectations, always feeling bullied, always felling socially isolated, etc. Stress was strongly associated with a higher likelihood of suicide attempts and mental health diagnoses, even among students reporting 1-2 stressful events (Liu et al, 2018).…”

“…It not only causes personal distress and social dysfunction but also increases the likelihood of suicide (Westefeld & Furr, 1987). University students face a remarkable level of distress for a variety of reasons that affect their mental health and increase depression, anxiety, and suicide rates among them throughout the globe (Liu et al, 2018). Depression is a major mental health issue among adolescents and young adults (Tanaka et al, 2006) and it also negatively impacts their learning abilities.…”