For young people who choose to attend university, the move to higher education comes at a critical time. During late adolescence, young people are navigating significant social, emotional, and biological changes. They grow in independence and autonomy, build new social connections, and take on more responsibilities. This process can be fulfilling, but it can also sow instability and stress.
Meanwhile, the adolescent brain undergoes rapid development and is especially vulnerable to external stressors, risky behaviours, and alcohol and substance abuse, all of which are frequently encountered at university. Around half of all mental health disorders start before the age of fourteen, meaning that many university students begin their studies with mental health challenges. Taken together, these conditions put university students at a high risk of experiencing mental health issues, with ineffective or harmful coping strategies.
While mental health disorders are widespread among university students, access to effective treatment is usually limited, and broader campus-based support is inadequate. This leaves many young people without the care and support they require to recover and stay well.
This blog provides information on mental health in universities, including risk and protective factors. It also touches on some of the steps universities can take to better safeguard young people’s mental health.
How Common Are Mental Health Disorders in Universities?
Across the globe, the number of young people attending university is rising. Among these students, mental health disorders are common. Data from the World Health Organisation World Mental Health Surveys show that one-fifth of college students had a mental health disorder in the past year. In 83.1% of cases, these disorders were already present when they started university. Only 16.4% of students received treatment for their mental health.
Anxiety disorders were the most common type of mental health disorder, followed by mood disorders, substance use disorders, and behavioural disorders.
Mental health disorders were associated with both going to university and completing their studies. Young people who had mental health disorders before college were less likely to attend college and more likely to leave their program if they did attend. Young adults with substance use disorders and major depression were the most likely to leave their program.
What Stressors Do Young People Face at University?
Aside from the social, emotional, and cognitive demands of adolescence and young adulthood, university students may experience specific stressors in the college environment. These stressors can exacerbate mental health symptoms and make it harder to practice healthy coping mechanisms.
Social Relationships
When young people begin university, they often move away from their social network and support system. They may find that they lack close, trusting relationships to rely on for emotional support.
At the same time, making new friends can be stressful, and young people may take some time to form fulfilling relationships. This can impact their self-concept and self-esteem.
Loneliness
Lacking close social relationships with friends or family, many university students experience loneliness. Some research suggests that around one in three university students feels lonely. Young people may be more likely to feel emotionally lonely (lacking close attachments with others) than socially lonely (lacking social contact in general).
Academic Demands
University courses can place high academic expectations, alongside heavy workloads, on students. The pressure to succeed can lead to distress and a fear of failure. Young people may also feel stressed about completing assignments, and workloads may cut into time for self-care, preventing a healthy work-life balance.
Finances
Students from less well-off families may struggle to support themselves financially at university. Often, government loans or grants don’t cover all the costs of tuition and living, and young people may have to work alongside their studies to cover their daily needs. This can lead to exhaustion, stress, and worry.
Graduate students may face additional challenges, such as supporting a family while at university.
What Factors Make University Students More Vulnerable to Mental Health Disorders?
Any student can experience mental health symptoms and disorders at university. But there are certain risk factors that make developing mental health disorders more likely.
Loneliness and Social Isolation
As one of the key stressors that young people face at university, it’s unsurprising that loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of mental health disorders. Close and stable relationships are a basic human need and a fundamental component of mental and physical well-being. Close relationships also provide support in times of distress or crisis.
Without these relationships, students may feel lost and unfulfilled, making it harder for them to cope with the challenges they face.
Previous Mental Health Disorders and Self-Image
Young people who begin university with a mental health disorder or have a history of mental health challenges are more likely to experience mental health symptoms during their studies. Those with negative self-image are also more vulnerable to mental health disorders.
Eating disorders at university are strongly linked to negative well-being and may be far more likely among university students than young people who aren’t in higher education.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiverse young people, including autistic young people, are at a higher risk of mental health challenges at university. The institutions, processes, and practices of universities are usually designed for neurotypical people and are inadequate for the needs of neurodiverse students. This can make daily life challenging and lead to different forms of distress.
Childhood Trauma and Adverse Experiences
Young people who have lived through childhood trauma or other difficult experiences are much more likely to face mental health challenges at university. Early life adversity can disrupt young people’s social, cognitive, and emotional development, making it harder to form supportive relationships, manage emotions, and cope with stress. Inside and outside of university, early life adversity is associated with a range of mental health disorders, including eating disorders, mood disorders, and personality disorders.
Work Pressure and Exams
Pressure from exams and coursework can lead to additional stress and worse mental health. Students may also struggle when they don’t feel engaged or fulfilled by their studies. They may find it harder to motivate themselves to complete work or feel lost and unfulfilled.
What Factors Promote Mental Well-Being Among University Students?
Alongside risk factors for mental health disorders, researchers have also identified certain traits and experiences that help young people maintain mental well-being at university.
Strong Social Networks and A Sense of Belonging
Strong social networks at university can protect against feelings of loneliness and offer sources of emotional support when needed. Students who feel like they belong to a community or friendship group at university may feel a stronger sense of meaning and purpose, a fundamental component of well-being. These feelings may be especially important during adolescence and emerging adulthood, when young people are exploring and forming their identities.
Engagement in Studies
Engagement in studies can also help young people find a sense of meaning and purpose at university. They may experience a greater sense of satisfaction and more positive feelings, while feeling more motivated to complete the assignment.
Higher well-being, in turn, makes it more likely that students will feel engaged in their studies, underpinning a positive, bidirectional relationship.
Pursuit of Hobbies and Interests
Young people who are involved in leisure activities alongside their studies may use healthier coping mechanisms for emotional distress and have better overall well-being. Leisure activities, including sports, creative outlets, or social events, can help young people manage stress and difficult emotions. Involvement in these activities may also prevent students from turning to more destructive coping mechanisms in the face of challenges.
Accessing Mental Health Support at Universities
Despite the widespread mental health challenges faced at university, most young people don’t access effective support. A cross-national study found that only one in six students who had a mental health disorder received treatment. In the UK, about one in three students seek support.
Many barriers exist to accessing adequate mental health care, from internalised stigma that discourages people from reaching out to a lack of information about services. There may also be a lack of appropriate mental health services or qualified professionals in the area.
Community-based mental health services, designed to meet the needs of local residents, are usually inadequate for students’ needs. Students experience a unique range of stressors that require additional consideration. As a transient population, they may be unaware of or unable to access the usual pathways to community-based care.
Colleges and universities can play an important role in providing and increasing access to effective mental health support. This might mean developing new, campus-based resources and creating pathways with universities to facilitate access to community-based care.
Campus-based resources might include peer support services, academic advisors, disability support, mental health education, and pastoral care for young people experiencing transient symptoms, preventing these challenges from developing into mental health disorders. At the same time, students experiencing mental health disorders or more complicated symptoms could be directed to mental health professionals.
Some other focus points that may help improve the mental well-being of young people include:
- Creating environments within universities that make it easier to make friends and develop social networks
- Improving understanding of mental health
- Identifying students who are at risk of mental health challenges or show early signs of mental health disorders
- Offering interventions that help foster a sense of belonging and identity
The Wave Clinic: Specialist Mental Health Support for Young People and Families
The Wave Clinic provides specialist mental health programs for young people and families. Our residential and outpatient spaces nurture personal growth, skill development, confidence-building, and mental health recovery. We emphasise the role of past traumas and social experiences in shaping how young people think, act, and feel today.
Within our residential space, we combine exceptional clinical care with personal curriculum learning, vocational qualifications, and enriching experiences. Mirroring a therapeutic boarding school setting, we ensure that young people can continue and enhance their education as they recover from mental health disorders.
If you’d like to find out more about our programs, get in touch today.
