Factors Associated with Mental Distress among College Students

Factors Associated with Mental Distress among College Students
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Review of Literature
Findings of the Previous Study
Mental distress is a significant public health concern that includes depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms like headaches, sleeping problems, and fatigue. Previous studies found that college students constantly experience increased levels of mental distress (Farumi, 2020). This high prevalence is attributed to multiple stressors, including academic load, financial burden, constant pressure to succeed, competition with peers, unsatisfying relationships, family separation, exams, substance abuse, lack of interest in the course, family history of mental problems, and low social support (Mboya et al., 2020). High levels of mental distress among college students lead to impaired cognitive ability, learning disability, and poor academic performance. Out of these factors, four major ones identified from the previous studies include financial problems, failed relationships, pressure to pass exams, and pressure to study the major against one's will.
Studies have demonstrated that pressure to get quality grades is one of the major factors that lead to mental distress among college students (Mboya et al., 2020). Students find it challenging to Balance School, assignments, social life, and extracurricular activities. In college, every student has the freedom to do what they want since all students are adults and are aware of what they need in the future. When assigned tasks, they could feel overwhelmed, lost, and distressed. Another significant factor is financial worries. (Nandi et al., 2020) found that financial difficulties like being unable to afford bills make students feel distressed. They could be in a situation where they cannot pay their rent, buy college materials, and even pay tuition fees. Because of this problem, the students resort to loans that leave them with mental distress upon defaulting.
The causes of mental illness among college students cannot be complete without mentioning failed relationships. Mofatteh (2021) noted that conflicts and breakups in relationships play a significant role in negatively impacting the student's mental health and academic outcome. It is a common problem for the students. According to Pedrelli et al.(2015), students dating in college have to manage their time wisely because they have to study and meet their companions. This reduces their complete concentration on their school projects and assignments. When their relationships end, they become distressed and depressed about not focusing on their studies.
The fourth factor found in the previous study is pressure to study the major against the individual's will. It is always advisable for students to choose their major. This allows them to set their minds on the career they want to pursue. Each student has a major in their mind. However, pressure from parents may prevent them from doing what interests them (Nandi et al., 2020). Some parents play a significant role in the student's choices. Students who are unsure of what they want to pursue will always follow their parent's advice. They end up finding the course boring and distressful.
A study done by the World Health Organization (WHO) with a sample of about 1,572 students from twenty-one different nations revealed that approximately 20.3% of college students had mental distress (Pedrelli et al., 2015). Another study among undergraduate students in Canada reported that 30% of students had mental distress, exceeding that of adults in the country's general population (Mofatteh, 2021). Additionally, the study found that more than 50% of students in the United States, close to 53% in Australia and around 41% in Malaysia, experienced mental distress (Nandi et al., 2020).
Previous studies also found that the peak onset of most mental health problems occurs during early adulthood. Pedrelli et al. (2015) observed that some college students with mental distress had had early onset of their condition in childhood. Among students, the significant interferences connected to attending college may increase present psychopathology that occurred in childhood (Mboya et al., 2020). According to Pedrelli et al. (2015), college students are prone to anxiety and depression. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental conditions in higher learning institutions, with over 13% of each college examined in the previous studies suffering from an anxiety disorder (Pedrelli et al., 2015). Depression is another common mental health problem among college students, with a prevalence of about 7-9%, according to Pedrelli et al. (2015). Mofatteh (2021) found that more than half of all depression cases had the first onset during childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.
Gap in the Study
The present study investigated the prevalence and causes or risk factors of mental distress in college students. As noted, college students are prone to psychological problems and associated disorders. Despite an extensive study conducted from relevant articles, this study focused on the general population of students. The research was not conducted on both genders, considering the disparity in the prevalence of mental distress in males and women. Studies have shown that women and men experience mental problems like stress and depression differently due to hormonal changes. This study also did not focus on a particular mental condition.
Purpose of the Study
The study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with mental distress among college students.
Methodology
Data was collected by searching articles through Google, PubMed, and ScienceDirect using "mental distress," "college," "universities," "education," "mental illness," and "psychological problems'' as keywords. Four inclusion criteria were employed during the search. They include articles published from 2010 onwards, journal articles written in English, and original research about the selected topic. Based on the search results through the PubMed and Science Direct databases using the above keywords, more than 324 journals that matched the keywords were found. The articles were then screened based on the title and publication year. About 87 articles appeared from the search. Thirty-five of these articles were not relevant to this research topic. Three articles had a systematic review design. Five articles were written in a non-English language, so they had to be excluded. After analyzing the articles, five peer-reviewed journal articles were suitable for use in this research.
Results
Studies found that the prevalence of mental distress among college students is due to multiple factors, including economic, academic, psychological, lifestyle, and social aspects.
Economic Factors
The financial status of students and their families can impact their mental health. This study found that many family income and poverty experiences are associated with stress, depression, and other mental conditions in college students (Farumi, 2020). When a family encounters financial difficulty, the student is highly likely to receive less financial support, which makes one begin to experience stressful conditions since they cannot take care of their needs. This financial hardship forces students to look for part-time jobs to fund their studies and pay other bills (Pedrelli et al., 2015). Therefore, financial hardships faced by college students are major risk factors of mental distress among college students.
Social Factors
Social factors range from social networks in school, including friends, to family and intimate relationships. The quality of relationships with family, friends, and loved ones determines whether or not a person can develop mental distress (Farumi, 2020). Having an unsupportive social network affects a student's psychological well-being. Intimate relationships are among the significant causes of distress among college students.
This study found that many students begin dating in their first year in college. However, a few relationships go on successfully. Most students enter into abusive relationships or infidelity, which is highly associated with breakups. Unhealthy intimate relationships have been linked to increased suicidal cases among college students. Suicide, although not a specific diagnosis, is the third leading cause of death among college students. Mofatteh's (2021) survey with 8,155 participants reported about 6.7% suicidal thoughts connected to intimate relationships.
Lifestyle Factors
Relocating to a new environment and starting an independent life needs suppleness and adaptation to adjust. Since most college students leave their families to begin a new life with friends, peers, and classmates, their behavior and lifestyle will ...