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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 8/2009

01-08-2009 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Psychological distress in first year university students: socioeconomic and academic stressors, mastery and social support in young men and women

Authors: Dr. Pierre Verger, MD, Jean-Baptiste Combes, MS, Viviane Kovess-Masfety, PhD, Marie Choquet, PhD, Valérie Guagliardo, MS, Frédéric Rouillon, PhD, Patrick Peretti-Wattel, PhD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 8/2009

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Abstract

Purpose

Little is known about the role of stressors associated with university life on psychological distress (PD). The aims of this article are to: (1) assess the prevalence of PD among students during their first year of university; (2) study its associations with stressors (socioeconomic and university-related) and protective factors (mastery, social support); and (3) to compare these factors according to gender.

Methods

Cross-sectional study of a random sample of students aged 18–24 years, in their first year of university in 2005–2006, enrolled in the 6 universities of southeastern France. Standardised questionnaire, by self-administration or telephone interview. Overall, 1,743 students agreed to participate (71.0%).

Results

PD prevalence was estimated at 15.7% (95% CI: 12.9–18.5) among the young men and 33.0% (95% CI: 30.2–35.9) among the young women. Multiple logistic regressions adjusted for social and demographic variables, mode of questionnaire administration, psychiatric history, and recent adverse life events, showed that among men PD was associated with lack of adjustment to the university academic environment (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.00–1.17, P = 0.04), and mastery (OR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.68–0.79). Among women, the prevalence of PD was associated with medical studies (OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.50–4.05), lack of adjustment to the university academic environment (OR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.03–1.12), mastery (OR = 0.78; 95% CI: 0.75–0.82), and social support (OR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54–0.85), with a strong negative statistical interaction between mastery and lack of adjustment.

Conclusions

This study shows an intermediate prevalence of PD among French first-year university students compared with those observed in university students in other countries. It suggests that PD is related to university-related stressors but failed to find a relation to socioeconomic factors. Risk and protective factors for PD in first-year university students differed somewhat according to gender. However, mastery appeared to have a protective role in both genders. Further research is necessary to confirm these results in other universities and years.
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Metadata
Title
Psychological distress in first year university students: socioeconomic and academic stressors, mastery and social support in young men and women
Authors
Dr. Pierre Verger, MD
Jean-Baptiste Combes, MS
Viviane Kovess-Masfety, PhD
Marie Choquet, PhD
Valérie Guagliardo, MS
Frédéric Rouillon, PhD
Patrick Peretti-Wattel, PhD
Publication date
01-08-2009
Publisher
Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 8/2009
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0486-y

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