A student’s risk of mental illness, drug or alcohol abuse could be linked to the subject they are studying.
New research shows that many students enter university or college with pre-existing mental health problems.
The results come from Ulster University (UU) and the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Letterkenny.
The report also suggested that some students may be drawn to subjects such as psychology or law “because of negative early life experiences.”
It found that psychology students reported increased rates of panic disorder and social anxiety, while law students had the highest rates of alcohol abuse.
Business students reported the highest rate of substance abuse, with nursing students least likely to report mental health problems.
Previous research has shown that male students are less likely than women to seek wellbeing or counseling help at university or college.
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The newly published study was conducted by researchers and scientists from UU, ATU and the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
The findings are based on data collected from 1,829 first-year students as part of the Student Psychological Intervention Trial (Spit) at four UU sites in Northern Ireland and the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Letterkenny, County Donegal.
The students completed detailed diagnostic questionnaires on a range of mental health problems, including mood disorders, panic disorders, bipolar disorder, as well as conditions such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance-related problems.
A separate questionnaire was used to ask students about suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Study participants were also asked if they had ever received counseling or medication for “an emotional or substance problem,” if they felt they needed help, and why they might not have sought it.
The researchers then analyzed the responses of students taking different subjects at different university departments.
They found that there were “significant between-course differences in reported rates for depression, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, possible ADHD, and suicidal thoughts.”
The results suggest that many students with mental health problems start at university or college, but some courses had more students with problems than others.
Certain majors may also attract those who are more prone to mental health issues.
“For example, students studying liberal arts, social work and counseling were found to be more likely to report childhood difficulties,” the paper said.
“These factors may not only attract individuals to certain degrees, but also predispose them to poorer mental well-being.”
The researchers broke down the issues highlighted in the students’ responses by the courses they attended.
For example, according to the study, students taking courses in life and health sciences — such as medicine, physical therapy, or biomedicine — had “the lowest rates of mental health and substance use problems.”
But “clear differences were uncovered when examining individual courses.”
“For example, psychology students reported increased rates of panic disorder and social anxiety,” the paper reads.
“Furthermore, these students most likely said they felt they needed treatment, which would indicate that while the psychology students had an awareness of their mental health issues, this did not encourage them to seek help.”
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Some psychology students told the researchers that they were concerned that seeking help might affect their future careers.
In contrast, students majoring in computer science were the least concerned that seeking help might harm their careers.
Nursing students were the least likely to report mental health problems, but psychiatric nursing students reported more problems than those studying general nursing.
“Business students reported the highest rates of substance abuse, while law students reported the highest rates of alcohol abuse,” the study said.
“Previous studies have shown that such outcomes are related to course-related stressors.”
Art students reported the highest rates of depression and ADHD, while engineering students reported low rates of mental health problems.
However, because engineering was a male-dominated subject, the researchers questioned whether these low rates “might be related to men’s reluctance to disclose mental health issues.”
The study authors said this pointed to the need for support and prevention measures being offered by universities and colleges to be “tailored” to students pursuing different majors.
“This is potentially even more important given the pandemic, when students were working remotely, some cohorts missed hands-on classes, lab work and internships, and many have struggled since returning to face-to-face classes,” the research paper reads.
The researchers also suggested that mentoring programs or other well-being initiatives could help new students adjust to university life.
The paper, entitled “Variations in Mental Disorder, Suicidality, and Help-Seeking Behavior Among College Students Across Academic Disciplines,” was published in the online scholarly journal Plos One.
The study was funded by the Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials in Ireland Network.
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