Studying is not only exhausting – for some, the stress can even lead to PTSD. The number of affected students is increasing. What is the cause?
A new study shows that rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022. Diagnoses of acute stress disorder (ASD) also increased significantly during this period.
The comprehensive five-year study involved 392,377 students from 332 different colleges and universities. The researchers used data from the previous Healthy Minds Study to ensure representative results by weighting the samples based on college demographics. Diagnoses of PTSD and ASD were confirmed by medical professionals. Further, statistical analyses were conducted to assess changes in estimated prevalence from 2017 to 2022.
The results published online in JAMA Network Open, show a clear increase. The prevalence of PTSD rose from 3.4 % in the period 2017 to 2018 to 7.5 % in the period 2021 to 2022. ASD diagnoses also rose from 0.2 % to 0.7 % in the same period. The increases remained statistically significant even after adjusting for demographic differences.
The authors of the study stress that these trends highlight the increasing mental health problems among students. The results are consistent with other research, which report an increase also in psychiatric diagnoses. The authors likely link this increase to pandemic-related stressors and traumatic events such as campus shootings and racial trauma. “These trends underscore the need for targeted, trauma-informed intervention strategies in the college environment,” the researchers write.
The study relied on self-reported data and single questions to diagnose PTSD and ASD, which may affect the accuracy of the results. However, the findings provide underpinning evidence and awareness for this problem and might influence future management of mental health issues on campus.
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