Number of College Students Diagnosed With PTSD Has More Than Doubled

Diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022. New Research The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Based on data from five surveys of college students participating in the Health Minds Study across 332 universities, researchers found that the prevalence of PTSD increased by 4.1 percentage points, from 3.4% (2017-2018) to 7.5% (2021-2022). The incidence of a similar disorder, acute stress disorder (ASD), also more than doubled, increasing from 0.2% (2017-2018) to 0.7% (2021-2022).

The largest increases occurred in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced many U.S. colleges and universities to close and caused severe disruptions to student life.

PTSD is a mental disorder that develops after an individual experiences, witnesses, or learns about a traumatic or extremely frightening event. PTSD is characterized by four types of symptoms that last for at least one month, cause significant distress, and interfere with work or daily life.

of Four types of PTSD symptomsHere is what you get:

• Re-experiencing symptoms You have vivid memories, nightmares, or flashbacks about the event.
• Avoidance symptoms It involves avoiding situations or people that remind you of the trauma.
• Cognitive and mood symptoms Memory loss related to the triggering event, exaggerated negative beliefs and expectations about oneself, persistent negative feelings, and a sense of detachment from others.
• Arousal and reaction symptoms, This can include irritable behavior at the slightest provocation, reckless or self-destructive behavior, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, problems concentrating, and sleep disorders.

Overall, the 1-year prevalence of PTSD in adults is National Institute of Mental Health estimates At 3.6%, women (5.2%) experienced it nearly three times as often as men (1.8%).

Closely related to PTSD is Acute stress disorderSimilar symptoms appear within one month of the traumatic experience. National PTSD Center It is estimated that approximately 80% of people diagnosed with ASD will be diagnosed with PTSD within six months.

The findings bring new attention to a widespread perception that mental health issues are increasing dramatically among college students: More than 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health issue during the 2020-2021 academic year, the research organization reported. Healthy Mind Research. another investigation A survey that year found that nearly three-quarters of students reported moderate or severe psychological distress.

In Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2024 State of Higher Education StudyAccording to the survey, 35% of current and prospective college students said they had considered dropping out within the past six months. Of these students, 54% cited emotional stress and 43% cited mental health as their reason for dropping out, both of which were more important than the third most common reason, cost (31%).

a investigation Announced this week Online Learning Consortium Telemedicine Providers Youwill, The survey found that more than 80% of faculty and administrators working with online learners have seen an increase in demand for mental health support over the past year.

What’s causing the spike in PTSD? Researchers cite two factors: pandemic-related stress, such as losing loved ones, and the aftereffects of extremely stressful events on campus, such as violent crime, racial trauma, and other extreme social unrest. Other possibilities include an increase in past sexual trauma and emotional abuse among college students. Additionally, criteria for trauma triggers may be relaxed by clinicians who want to make the diagnosis and get students access to treatment.

Whatever the cause, universities are responding by increasing mental health resources for students who need them and offering programs aimed at prevention. Campus counseling centers are hiring therapists with expertise in PTSD treatment techniques, and many institutions are investing in a variety of other options, including adding remote services like UWill’s teletherapy. Health AppsTo meet growing demand, we are also training students to provide peer support and counselling themselves.