College student mental health: Psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing

Abstract

Objective

To examine both psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing in a college student sample drawn from a majority-minority university.

Participants

100 participants (42% White; 70 females), mean age, 21.22 years.

Methods

Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the relationship of psychiatric risk (Brief Symptom Inventory; BSI) and psychological wellbeing (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form; MHC-SF) with student stress, cognition, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a new Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) scale.

Results

Risk correlated with increased student stress, higher ACEs and lower PCEs, whereas wellbeing correlated with lower student stress, better neuropsychological functioning, lower ACE and increased PCEs. PCEs predicted enhanced MHC-SF wellbeing and reduced BSI risk, accounting for 22.4% and 13.7% of variance in these measures, respectively. ACEs predicted elevated BSI risk and diminished MHC-SF wellbeing accounting for 8.6% and 5.9% of variance in these measures, respectively.

Conclusion

College student mental health may benefit from practices aim specifically to enhance wellbeing, stress-resistance, and cognition.

Keywords:

• psychiatric risk
• psychological wellbeing
• childhood experiences
• student stress
• neuropsychological functioning

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United States of America and received approval from the University of Massachusetts Institutional Review Board.

Additional information

Funding

Research was supported in part by the University of Massachusetts Boston Joseph P Healey Award.