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Psychological distress in university students

A comparison with general population data

Bibliographic Data

ID11509282
AuthorsHelen Stallman (0000-0001-7830-0781, The University of Queensland, corresponding author), Helen M Stallman (University of Queensland, Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy, Brisbane, Australia)
Year2010
Volume45
Issue4
Pages249-257
Publication date2010-11-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Psychologist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0005-0067 • E-ISSN: 1742-9544
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00050067.2010.482109
OpenAlexW2068337444
LanguageEN
Citations received235
References cited22

Objective: While the mental health of university students is recognised internationally as an important public health issue, more epidemiological data are needed that allows benchmarking with general population data. Methods: All enrolled students from two large Australian universities were invited to complete a web-based survey. Anxiety-mood disorders were assessed using the Kessler 10. A total of 6,479 students participated in the study with sociodemographics generally consistent with the university population. Results: The estimated prevalence for mental health problems was 19.2% with 67.4% reporting subsyndromal symptoms. These rates were significantly higher than the general population. Psychological distress was associated with disability and lower academic achievement. Predictors of distress included: full-time status, financial stress, being aged between and 18 and 34 years, being female, and in a subsequent undergraduate year of their degree. Conclusions: The extremely high prevalence of mental health problems in university students provides evidence for this being an at-risk population. Implications: The results highlight the need for universal early interventions to prevent the development of severe mental illness in university students

Anxiety · Distress · Environmental health · Mental health · Mood · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public health · Clinical Psychology · Epidemiology · Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnout · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Nursing · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Gerontology

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Unique citing works235
Citations per year15,67
Citation span2011 - 2026 (16)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedYes
Citation typesNeutral: 235
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