Psychiatric disorders and associated risky behaviors among Iranian university students: results from the Iranian PDABs survey

Abstract

Young adults not only face somatic and psychiatric disorders but they also engage in risky behaviors. The aim of this study was to address the association between psychiatric disorders and multiple health-risk behaviors. This study reports on a national survey of psychiatric disorders and addictive behaviors (PDABs) among 4261 Iranian university students from 13 medical science universities throughout Iran in 2017. The outcome of interest was psychiatric disorders, and the evaluated health-risk behaviors were cigarette smoking during the past month, using any kind of illicit drugs during the past month, drinking alcohol during the past month, having unprotected sexual intercourse during the past year, having suicidal ideation during the past month, attempting suicide in the past year, and Internet addiction. Of the 4261 university students, 1655 (39%) had a certain level of psychiatric disorder and 1590 (37.3%) had engaged in at least one risky behavior. There was a significant association between psychiatric disorder and female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 1.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22, 1.61], single status (OR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.66, 2.44), illicit drug abuse (OR = 2.42; 95% CI 1.75, 3.33), suicidal ideation (OR = 3.03; 95% CI 1.98, 4.64), suicide attempt (OR = 2.53; 95% CI 1.62, 3.97), lack of future goal clarity (OR = 2.41; 95% CI 2.06, 2.82), and Internet addiction (OR = 5.16; 95% CI 3.79, 7.04). More than one-third of the students not only have a certain type of psychiatric disorder but also engage in at least one risky behavior.