Student Psychological Distress: A psychometric study of 1750 Norwegian 1st‐year undergraduate students

Abstract

Evidence which suggests that university and college students are more vulnerable to psychological distress than the general population has generated increasing public concern. This study presents psychometric data on Norwegian undergraduate students' psychological distress (N = 1750). Psychological distress was assessed by applying the 12‐item version of the General Health Questionnaire. Twenty‐one percent of the students reported symptoms indicating clinically significant psychological distress. Demographic variables such as gender, marital status, being born in or outside Norway, and father's educational level were significantly associated with the degree of distress, but the associations were not strong. The findings indicated that the Norwegian students reported less psychological distress than students in other western countries reported in comparable studies.

Keywords:

• General Health Questionaire
• Psychological distress
• Student mental health
• Undergraduate students

Acknowledgement

We thank Asbjørn Johannessen and Espen Dahl for their helpful comments on the statistical analyses we have performed in this study.

Notes

1. This study is based in a large Norwegian longitudinal study (StudData) focusing upon student background, personal aptitudes and psychological distress, student motives for choosing a specific education, student experiences of educational training, and professional and personal development during the study and during the early years of professional work.