To know How many College Students are Affected by Mental Health….Read on this article….!
Unhealthy levels of mental anguish in adolescents can lead to massive psychological issues, which can have a compound effect on physical ailments. This study will examine how many college students are more prone to be trapped in this vicious cycle.
According to the National Library of Medicine’s WHO World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Project, at least one-third of the college students who participated in the surveys indicated a history of one or more of the mental diseases affected in the study.
How many College Students are Affected by Mental Health?
1. Major statistics relating to poor mental health
In the past decade, the number of scholars treated for mental disorders has increased. This number grew exponentially after the covid outbreak, pushing many students into depressive disorder, intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, and personality disorders.
This high prevalence is crucial not just for the misery it causes during a significant life change but also because it is linked to significant impairment in academic performance and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The current study presents preliminary findings from the WHO WMH-ICS initiative, delivered to first-year college students through a series of questionnaires in 19 institutions across eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Spain, United States).
The most frequent disease assessed across all nations was major depressive disorder (MDD) (21.2 % lifetime prevalence; 18.5 % 12-month prevalence), followed by prolonged anxiety disorder (18.6–16.7 % ).
2. How many students were affected by Academic Stress and anxiety?
- The education system, especially in developing nations, focuses on outdated and rigorous curricula rather than making them easily approachable.
- Due to constant stress, students become overworked, which further deteriorates their mental health.
- Anxiety affects more than one-third of college students.
- Because of mental health issues, 64% of students drop out of college.
3. How many students were mentally affected by social media?
- While social media has enhanced college students’ community participation, it has also resulted in a significant drop in mental health.
- According to the National Center for Health Research, 13% of kids ages 12-17 report depression, and 32% report anxiety after reviewing their social media.
4. How many students were mentally affected by Covid?
- The pandemic has disrupted the education system globally, forcing many to drop out due to poor income conditions while leaving others exposed to chronic mental issues.
- About 65% of students were most concerned about the pandemic’s duration.
5. What is the Gender Demographics?
- It is widely observed that women are more prone to mental problems than men due to several reasons.
- The primary reason for this could be essential biological characteristics and the environment they were born in. Female students suffer from mental health mainly due to harassment, sexual abuse, body-image issues, family pressure of getting married, etc.
- Male students are also affected by the same issues, although on a lower scale. Even during the pandemic, female students (60 %) were more affected by mental health challenges than male students (45 %).
- Male students are 4-6 times more likely to commit suicide than female students.
- 30% of gay or bisexual students aged 18–25 have attempted suicide.
Question 1 – What were the common disorders among college students?
Answer – major depressive disorder (MDD) was the most common disorder across all countries, followed by an anxiety disorder.
Question 2 – How many college students reported a history of mental illness?
Answer: At least one-third of the college students who participated in the study had a history of mental illness.
Question 3 – How many students were mentally affected during covid?
Answer: During the epidemic, nine out of ten adolescents reported poor mental health symptoms. Students felt alone and had feelings of confusion and excessive worry.
Question 4 – What are the gender dynamics for mental health?
Answer: Female students are more vulnerable to mental health concerns than male students, whereas male students have been found to have a 4-6 times higher risk of suicide than female students.
LINK for the external website – The WHO World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Project: Prevalence and Distribution of Mental Disorders – PMC
Conclusion
Given that the college years represent a peak era for the emergence of many common mental diseases, including mood, anxiety, and drug use disorders, epidemiological studies regularly report a high incidence of such problems among college students.
This study demonstrates how mental illnesses are quite frequent among college students and how many students are affected. Therefore, the further aim of educational universities and the government should be to develop customized approaches that identify and ideate every student’s mental health and provide resources to mitigate the fatal consequences of mental health disorders.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is there a correlation between college and depression??
The above statistic indicates that college-related issues significantly affect students. For example, during college years, Alcohol/substance abuse, sexual abuse, academic stress, identity crises, feeling in-between, etc., and all things combined, can lead to severe chronic depression, which can have long-term impacts on quality of life.
2. What measures are universities taking for this issue?
Many universities have initiated their mental health cell and have a professional counselor for student grievances. Apart from this, mental health awareness campaigns are also being carried out.
3. What is the mindset of the students who are not affected?
Students who participated in extracurricular activities and outdoor games were less likely to suffer from mental instability. In addition, students who listened to music, meditated, and were part of a supportive peer group had lower anxiety and stress levels.
4. What are the most common mental ailments among college students?
Mood disorders are one of the most frequent mental health problems. In most cases, anxiety and depression are the most common issues. Even considering or plotting suicide, according to experts, is an indication of a severe mental illness.
