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INTRODUCTION: Researchers predict long-term increases in suicide deaths following the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal attempts (SA) or treatment barriers and promoters during the pandemic. We examine these factors in a young adult sample. METHODS: Analyses used a 2022 cross-sectional survey dataset (N = 1,956). Logistic regression identified factors associated with pandemic suicidality (i.e., SI, SA). Non-treatment seekers reported barriers to seeking treatment. Logistic regression identified promotive factors associated with treatment-seeking. RESULTS: 28.6 % of our sample developed suicidality during the pandemic, of whom 49.6 % did not seek treatment. Asian race and sexual minority status were strongly associated with increased odds of pandemic suicidality. Among SI non-treatment-seekers, barriers were primarily attitudinal (e.g., "symptoms are not serious enough for treatment"); among non-treatment-seekers with SA, barriers were mostly structural (e.g., insufficient funds). Previous depression treatment was strongly associated with increased odds of treatment-seeking. CONCLUSION: Asian American individuals were at increased risk for pandemic suicidality, which may reflect interpersonal risks related to COVID-19-related anti-Asian racism. Our findings point to a "foot-in-the-door" effect: past treatment-seeking was positively associated with future treatment-seeking. To promote this effect and decrease barriers, we suggest integrated mental health screening and referrals in primary care.
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Guided by the integrative model, this study investigated the moderating effect of East Asian American youth-reported (N = 143) racial-ethnic socialization (RES) in the relationship between the youth's experiences of discrimination and internalization of the model minority myth. The results suggest that there was a significant interaction between youth's racial discrimination and youth-reported awareness of discrimination on youth's internalization of the model minority myth (b = 3.52, p < .05). No significant interaction effect emerged between racial discrimination and maintenance of heritage culture on internalization of model minority myth. The findings offer several contributions to inform research, family, and communities in understanding the ways caregivers respond to youth's racialized settings, which also contribute to youth's positive outcomes.
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Racismo , Discriminação Social , Adolescente , Humanos , População do Leste Asiático , Grupos Minoritários , Grupos Raciais , Socialização , AsiáticoRESUMO
Objective: There is a high prevalence of prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) among college students in the United States (US). Preventing and identifying PSM requires an understanding of risk factors and correlates, but large-scale surveys regarding this issue have been lacking. We present the largest multi-institution study to date on the correlates of PSM among US college students.Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the 2017 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA), an annual national survey on the demographics, health, and academic experiences of US college students. Logistic regression models examined associations between past-year PSM in 40,645 undergraduate college students and hypothesized risk factors.Results: PSM was reported in 8% of college students. PSM was associated with past-year diagnosis or treatment of depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.16; 99% CI, 1.01-1.33), anorexia (AOR = 1.44; 99% CI, 1.02-2.03), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AOR = 1.66; 99% CI, 1.41-1.95), and substance use disorder/other addiction (AOR = 1.79; 99% CI, 1.30-2.46). The odds of PSM were 5.5 times higher for students who endorsed past-month use of "Legal drugs" and 8 times higher for students who endorsed past-month use of "Illegal drugs" than for those who did not. Other factors associated with PSM included academic difficulty, daytime sleepiness, fraternity or sorority involvement, White race, and cis-male gender.Conclusions: This study identifies many potential risk factors for PSM among US undergraduate college students. Targeted outreach, prevention, and clinical management are discussed. As the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated psychiatric distress, sleep difficulties, substance use, and attentional challenges among college students, this study may serve as a baseline for future studies examining the impact of COVID-19 on PSM among college students.
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COVID-19 , Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central , Uso Indevido de Medicamentos sob Prescrição , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalência , Pandemias , Estimulantes do Sistema Nervoso Central/efeitos adversos , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Estudantes/psicologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/psicologia , Prescrições , UniversidadesRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The mental health challenges of college students are a critical public health concern, and they may be exacerbated among racial and ethnic minority groups. Unfortunately, there is a lack of recent large-scale research on this topic. This study provides an update on the mental health experiences of U.S. college students from minority backgrounds. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data from the spring 2015 administration of the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA IIB). Survey results from 67,308 undergraduates at 108 colleges were analyzed. RESULTS: Past-year rates of self-reported psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses were high, regardless of race or ethnicity. Students from minority groups generally reported lower rates of both symptoms and diagnoses compared with whites, with notable exceptions. Despite reporting generally lower rates of psychiatric diagnoses compared with whites, students who identified as multiracial (N=7,473) or Asian/Pacific Islander (N=7,166) were more likely to endorse having felt hopeless, so depressed that it was difficult to function, or overwhelmed by anger and were more likely to have considered or attempted suicide. Compared with whites, blacks and Hispanics endorsed lower rates of psychiatric diagnoses but had similar rates of past-year suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: Lower rates of formally diagnosed psychiatric illnesses may obscure significant mental health burden among minority students, especially with regard to suicidal thoughts and attempts among Asian/Pacific Islander and multiracial students. Students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds may have undetected psychiatric problems and, therefore, represent a particularly at-risk group on campus.
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Transtornos Mentais/diagnóstico , Transtornos Mentais/etnologia , Estudantes/psicologia , Estudantes/estatística & dados numéricos , Ideação Suicida , Tentativa de Suicídio/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Ansiedade/etnologia , Estudos Transversais , Depressão/etnologia , Etnicidade/psicologia , Etnicidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Feminino , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Grupos Minoritários/psicologia , Grupos Minoritários/estatística & dados numéricos , Grupos Raciais/psicologia , Grupos Raciais/estatística & dados numéricos , Estudos Retrospectivos , Autorrelato , Sexualidade/psicologia , Sexualidade/estatística & dados numéricos , Estados Unidos/epidemiologia , Universidades , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The college years represent a period of increased vulnerability for a wide range of mental health (MH) challenges. The onset of common psychiatric conditions occurs during this period of development. Increases in depression, anxiety, and suicidality among U.S. college students have been observed. This study identified prevalence and correlates of MH diagnoses and suicidality in a recent sample of U.S. college students. METHODS: The Spring 2015 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA) survey assessed MH diagnoses and suicidality from U.S. undergraduate students (n = 67,308) across 108 institutions. RESULTS: Stress was strongly associated with a greater likelihood of suicide attempts and MH diagnoses, even among students reporting 1-2 stressful events (OR [odds ratio] range 1.6-2.6, CI [confidence interval] = 1.2-3.2). Bisexual students were more likely to report MH diagnoses and suicidality, compared to heterosexual and gay/lesbian students (OR range 1.5-3.9, CI = 1.8-4.3), with over half engaging in suicidal ideation and self-harm, and over a quarter reporting suicide attempts. Transgender students reported a higher rate of MH diagnoses and suicidality relative to females (OR range 1.9-2.4, CI = 1.1-3.4). Racial/ethnic minority students were generally less likely to report MH diagnoses relative to Whites, although the likelihood for suicidality was mixed. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of multiple stress exposures among the U.S. college population and the high impacts of stress on MH and suicidality point to an urgent need for service utilization strategies, especially among racial/ethnic, sexual, or gender minorities. Campuses must consider student experiences to mitigate stress during this developmental period.