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

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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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Acknowledgments

This study received funding from the Southeastern France Regional Council, the National Institute for Health Prevention and Education (INPES) and from the Public Health Direction of the city of Marseilles. We thank Jo Ann Cahn for reading the manuscript and improving our English.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Observatoire régional de la santé PACA (Southeastern Regional Health Observatory), 23 rue Stanislas Torrents, 13006, Marseille, France

    Pierre Verger MD, Jean-Baptiste Combes MS & Valérie Guagliardo MS

  2. Research Unit UMR 912 “Economic and Social Sciences, Health Systems and Societies” INSERM, Marseilles, France and IRD, Aix, Marseilles Université, Marseilles, France

    Pierre Verger MD & Patrick Peretti-Wattel PhD

  3. MGEN Foundation for Public Health, University Paris V, Paris, France

    Viviane Kovess-Masfety PhD

  4. French Institute of Health and Medical Research, INSERM U 669, Paris, France

    Marie Choquet PhD & Frédéric Rouillon PhD

  5. Clinic for Mental Illnesses and Brain Disorders CMME, Sainte-Anne Hospital, University Paris V, Paris, France

    Frédéric Rouillon PhD

Authors
  1. Pierre Verger MD
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  2. Jean-Baptiste Combes MS
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  5. Valérie Guagliardo MS
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  7. Patrick Peretti-Wattel PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pierre Verger MD.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Sense of mastery (response according to a four-point Likert scale from agree strongly to disagree strongly.

  1. (1)

    I have little control over the things that happen to me.

  2. (2)

    There is really no way I can solve some of the problems I have.

  3. (3)

    There is little I can do to change many of the important things in my life.

  4. (4)

    I often feel helpless in dealing with the problems of life.

  5. (5)

    Sometimes I feel that I’m being pushed around in life.

  6. (6)

    What happens to me in the future mostly depends on me.

  7. (7)

    I can do just about anything I really set my mind to.

The last two are reversed for calculating the score.

Perceived availability of social support: 4 yes/no items

  1. (1)

    Do you have a confidant, that is, someone who you can talk to about your feelings or your personal worries?

  2. (2)

    Do you know someone who you can count on in case of a crisis?

  3. (3)

    Do you know someone you can count on when you need to make an important personal decision?

  4. (4)

    Do you have someone who makes you feel loved and who values you?

Questions students were asked about their difficulties in adjusting to university classes (response according to a four-point Likert scale from agree strongly to disagree strongly)

  1. (1)

    The teachers don’t care if the students understand the work.

  2. (2)

    I have difficulties organizing my work.

  3. (3)

    It is difficult to know what I have to learn.

  4. (4)

    I have trouble concentrating.

  5. (5)

    Supervision and direction by teachers is insufficient.

  6. (6)

    I am not sufficiently prepared for university work.

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Verger, P., Combes, JB., Kovess-Masfety, V. et al. Psychological distress in first year university students: socioeconomic and academic stressors, mastery and social support in young men and women. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 643–650 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0486-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0486-y

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