ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Considering the onset of mental disorders, the age range of 15-25 is important. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of selected mental illnesses on a university campus.
Materials and Methods:
This is a cross-sectional study. The population of the study consists of undergraduate students studying at a university in İstanbul. Three hundred forty-five students systematically selected by population weighting method were included from different faculties. Dependent variables of the study are depression, generalized anxiety, bipolar disorder and presence of psychotic symptoms. Mental disorders were evaluated using the composite international diagnostic interview and the DSM-5 oriented diagnostic interview form.
Results:
30.1% of the students had depression, 25.2% had generalized anxiety disorder, %9.0 had bipolar disorder and 2.9% had psychotic symptoms. The mean age of the participants is 20.4±1.6 years. According to the logistic regression analysis, having a family member with special educational needs increased the risk of depression 14 fold [14.0, 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.1-176.9]; having a family excluded by society increased the risk of psychotic symptoms by 16 fold (16.0, 95% CI; 1.3-15.1). It has been shown that there is a relationship between the frequency of alcohol use and bipolar disorder. Variables such as personality traits, female gender, and having a mother with mental health problems may increase the risk of mental disorders.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of mental disorders in university students is high. Many factors play a role in the formation of mental problems. Early recognition of mental disorders and effective control and intervention studies are very valuable.