Trajectories of depression and anxiety symptoms over time in the transition to university: Their co-occurrence and the role of self-critical perfectionism

Abstract

Little is known about how mental health symptoms develop during the transition to university. Most anxiety and depression research fail to consider how symptom development differs over time across different individuals, and how symptom co-occurrence influences the severity of mental heath problems. Students (N = 658) completed online surveys on mental health prior to starting university and every 2 months until April. To better understand mental health problems during this transitional period, latent class growth curve analyses were run to determine how anxiety and depressive symptoms co-develop over time, as well, if self-critical perfectionism was a transdiagnostic risk factor for more severe symptom trajectories in this transition. About 40% of students experienced depression and anxiety symptoms prior to entering/ during the transition to university. There is substantial variation between students in terms of how they experience depression and anxiety symptoms, and research needs to take this heterogeneity into account to properly identify which students might benefit most from resources. Self-critical perfectionism was a transdiagnostic risk factor, such that students higher in this trait experienced more severe anxiety and depressive symptom trajectories during this transition. This research further implicates the importance of understanding and studying individual differences in symptom development.

Unhappy or unsatisfied: distinguishing the role of negative affect and need frustration in depressive symptoms over the academic year and during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Additionally, this research adds to the literature by examining the impact of need frustration on psychopathology longitudinally over an entire academic year. Students often experience an increase in depressive symptoms over an academic year and this study suggests a new mechanism for understanding how depressive symptoms develop in emerging adulthood (Levine et al, 2021 ). With the increased prevalence of depression on university campuses, risk factors need to be determined to help identify students who may suffer.…”

“…Meaning it is both correlated over time with depression and anxiety (concomitant) and precedes these outcomes when examined longitudinally (antecedent). Depressive symptoms often increase across the academic year and have become an increasingly prevalent problem across university campuses (Evans et al, 2018 ; Levine et al, 2021 ). The current research suggests that need frustration is a risk factor for this decline in mental health.…”

“…Need frustration was found to be an antecedent and concomitant of depressive symptoms over an average academic year, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depressive symptoms often increase across the academic year and have become an increasingly prevalent problem across university campuses (Evans et al, 2018 ; Levine et al, 2021 ). Need frustration might be one factor that explains who is more likely to experience severe depressive symptoms over time, and during vulnerable periods of time, like the start of a global pandemic.…”