Mental Health and Healthy Habits in University Students: A Comparative Associative Study

José Antonio Ruiz-Hernández,Ángela Guillén,David Pina,Esteban Puente-López

doi:10.3390/ejihpe12020010

Abstract

There is evidence of increased psychopathology in university students and its relationship with unhealthy lifestyle habits. The objective of this work is to examine the prevalence and differences in psychopathological symptoms and lifestyle in a sample of university students according to educational levels and area of knowledge. A comparative associative study was conducted with 1405 university students. The results indicated significant differences in psychopathology and habits in the different groups. The prevalence of psychopathology found was high, especially depressive and anxious pathologies. This incidence tends to be higher in undergraduates and/or Arts and Humanities, coinciding with those who tend to have poorer lifestyle habits. The promising contributions from this study facilitate the early detection of university students with a risk profile for the appearance or exacerbation of psychopathology, as well as the design of psychological intervention programs aimed at the psychological well-being of this population.

Highlights

The results show that major depression disorder (MDD) was the most common, with a prevalence of 21.2–18.5%, followed by generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) with 18.6–16.7%
Given the evidence that university students tend to present psychopathological pictures and/or symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle habits, this publication aims to go further by exploring their relationships with academic variables related to educational level and the area of knowledge of Bachelor of Arts or Science
The university students in this study had a high prevalence of clinical symptoms

Summary

Objectives

The mental health of university students has become a focus of interest. Given the evidence that university students tend to present psychopathological pictures and/or symptoms and unhealthy lifestyle habits, this publication aims to go further by exploring their relationships with academic variables related to educational level (degree, master’s and doctoral degrees) and the area of knowledge of Bachelor of Arts or Science. Studies usually examine in depth the students’ mental health in relation to their life habits [8,16] or examine the differences according to either educational level [6,9] or, on the other hand, the area of knowledge [7,15]. No studies similar to this one have been found, where all these variables together are considered, especially academic variables These variables are new and not yet sufficiently explored to draw precise conclusions about their relationship with mental health and university students’ habits. This study would help to define, with greater precision, the profile of at-risk students for early detection and effective psychological intervention by university health services, especially considering that at least one-fifth of the students with psychological problems apply for therapeutic help [2,10,24]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion