Prevalence and Sociodemographic and Academic Factors Associated with Mental Health Problems in Spanish University Students

Abstract

There has been an increase in mental problems among university students worldwide. We investigated the prevalence of common mental problems in students at a public Spanish university and their associated so-ciodemographic and academic factors. A cross-sectional study design was used. 2,862 students completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ, PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and sociodemo-graphic and academic questions. Multivariate logistic regression models were used. 69.1% screened positively for at least one evaluated problem, with generalized anxiety disorder (48.9%) and major depressive disorder (47.4%) being the most frequent. 67.6% of individuals screened for at least one problem were at risk for multiple problems. Being female, gender mi-nority, living with housemates, and being in the first-year of undergraduate studies was associated with an increased risk of at least one mental prob-lem. Factors associated with individual conditions varied across conditions. Studying health sciences was associated with a lower risk of major depres-sion and being male was associated with a higher risk of alcohol abuse. Given the high prevalence of students at risk, preventative measures aimed especially at the most vulnerable groups are necessary.