Resultados de una evaluación y seguimiento online de problemas de salud mental en universitarios chilenos

Abstract

The exponential increase in higher education students and the new university profile that incorporates more vulnerable social groups are associated with an increase in mental health problems in this population. Likewise, the complex stage of the life cycle in which these young people find themselves and the stress of the transition between adolescence and adulthood are other risk factors for the development of mental health problems. The emergence of mental health problems in this group could then be due to a confluence of factors, also facilitating risk behaviors. National and international researches have reported the worrying rates of mental health disorders in university students, mainly in relation to the presence of depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol or drug use, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation. These disorders tend to be aggravated, because the university population is prone not to seek help. The stigma of presenting mental health problems, skepticism about treatments, not wanting to worry the closest family and the few economic resources or not having a health plan, lead to not seeking help or do this late. Studies have found that more than half of students who need mental health and support services are not receiving them. On the other hand, a high percentage seeks help late, which implies that the disorders are accentuated or become chronic, which makes subsequent treatment and improvement difficult, even becoming a public health problem due to the high economic and professional demand that these treatments require. Given these antecedents and the exponential increase in these high rates of mental health, it was proposed to carry out a complete process of Mental Health Problems Screening, feedback, and follow-up in a large sample of university students, in order to determine both the prevalence of mental health symptoms, such as the impact of the use of information technologies on feedback and guidance in seeking help. To do this, a battery of questionnaires aimed at investigating hopelessness and suicide risk, depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, eating disorders and perceived social support were applied through the university online platform to 1 707 students. Once the instruments were answered, the students received feedback about their levels of symptoms and information about networks and establishments to seek help and receive care in the required cases. In the middle of the following year, a follow-up survey was conducted with 577 of the students who had previously answered all the questionnaires. The results of the battery of questionnaires applied indicate high rates of mental health symptoms, with statistically significant differences according to sex, with women having the highest prevalence. These results are consistent with various studies that show high percentages of mental health problems in university students and various associations. In turn, the subsequent follow-up showed that the feedback provided triggered the search for help, with positive correlations between feeling better and having sought mental health treatment or having asked friends or family for help. In addition, the most of the young people surveyed consider that the use of computer platforms are useful to obtain help on mental health issues and that they are useful to better understand what is happening to them and learn about mental health problems. Both the increase in the university population and the high prevalence of morbidity have led to the need to implement various resources that make mental health more accessible to young people. The use of information technologies in mental health research and prevention would have a positive outreach, being a useful, accessible and close tool for young people. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2023.40.2.16