College Students’ Mental Health and Need for Psychological Help: Results of A Longitudinal Study during COVID-19
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has raised substantial concerns regarding its long-term impact on the mental health of young adults, particularly college students who face significant academic and psychosocial challenges. This study investigated changes in students’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic using data of 267 students from an ongoing longitudinal study as part of the World Health Organization World Mental Health International College Student (WHO WHM-ICS) initiative. Descriptive analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of mental health problems, while Wilcoxon Signed-Rank and McNemar tests were used to examine significant changes over time. The findings revealed significant increases in symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In addition, both the utilization of and perceived need for psychological support increased significantly. Students also reported higher levels of overall stress, greater concern about the health of loved ones, poorer self-rated mental health, and a moderate-to-extreme negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their wellbeing. The high prevalence for various mental health problems and the increased demand for help, call out for action. Young adults are a vulnerable group. A strong commitment to prevention and intervention programs in schools and beyond is needed.