PTSD Rates Soar Among College Students

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--$RCSfile: InCopy_agile.xsl,v $ $Revision: 1.35 $-->
<!--$RCSfile: drupal.xsl,v $ $Revision: 1.7 $-->
<root generator="drupal.xsl" gversion="1.7"> <header> <fileName>168351</fileName> <TBEID>0C050791.SIG</TBEID> <TBUniqueIdentifier>MD_0C050791</TBUniqueIdentifier> <newsOrJournal>News</newsOrJournal> <publisherName>Frontline Medical Communications</publisherName> <storyname/> <articleType>2</articleType> <TBLocation>QC Done-All Pubs</TBLocation> <QCDate>20240610T121901</QCDate> <firstPublished>20240610T130645</firstPublished> <LastPublished>20240610T130645</LastPublished> <pubStatus qcode="stat:"/> <embargoDate/> <killDate/> <CMSDate>20240610T130645</CMSDate> <articleSource/> <facebookInfo/> <meetingNumber/> <byline>Eve Bender</byline> <bylineText>EDITED EVE BENDER</bylineText> <bylineFull>EDITED EVE BENDER</bylineFull> <bylineTitleText/> <USOrGlobal/> <wireDocType/> <newsDocType/> <journalDocType/> <linkLabel/> <pageRange/> <citation/> <quizID/> <indexIssueDate/> <itemClass qcode="ninat:text"/> <provider qcode="provider:imng"> <name>IMNG Medical Media</name> <rightsInfo> <copyrightHolder> <name>Frontline Medical News</name> </copyrightHolder> <copyrightNotice>Copyright (c) 2015 Frontline Medical News, a Frontline Medical Communications Inc. company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, copied, or otherwise reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of Frontline Medical Communications Inc.</copyrightNotice> </rightsInfo> </provider> <abstract/> <metaDescription>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, new data showed. Rates of acute stress disorder (ASD)</metaDescription> <articlePDF/> <teaserImage/> <title>PTSD Rates Soar Among College Students</title> <deck/> <disclaimer/> <AuthorList/> <articleURL/> <doi/> <pubMedID/> <publishXMLStatus/> <publishXMLVersion>1</publishXMLVersion> <useEISSN>0</useEISSN> <urgency/> <pubPubdateYear/> <pubPubdateMonth/> <pubPubdateDay/> <pubVolume/> <pubNumber/> <wireChannels/> <primaryCMSID/> <CMSIDs/> <keywords/> <seeAlsos/> <publications_g> <publicationData> <publicationCode>cpn</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> <publicationData> <publicationCode>fp</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> <publicationData> <publicationCode>im</publicationCode> <pubIssueName/> <pubArticleType/> <pubTopics/> <pubCategories/> <pubSections/> </publicationData> </publications_g> <publications> <term canonical="true">9</term> <term>15</term> <term>21</term> </publications> <sections> <term canonical="true">39313</term> </sections> <topics> <term canonical="true">283</term> <term>248</term> <term>176</term> </topics> <links/> </header> <itemSet> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>Main</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title>PTSD Rates Soar Among College Students</title> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <h2>TOPLINE:</h2> <p>Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rates among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022, new data showed. Rates of acute stress disorder (ASD) also increased during that time.</p> <h2>METHODOLOGY:</h2> <ul class="body"> <li>Researchers conducted five waves of cross-sectional study from 2017 to 2022, involving 392,377 participants across 332 colleges and universities.</li> <li>The study utilized the Healthy Minds Study data, ensuring representativeness by applying sample weights based on institutional demographics.</li> <li>Outcome variables were diagnoses of PTSD and ASD, confirmed by healthcare practitioners, with statistical analysis assessing change in odds of estimated prevalence during 2017-2022.</li> </ul> <h2>TAKEAWAY:</h2> <ul class="body"> <li>The prevalence of PTSD among US college students increased from 3.4% in 2017-2018 to 7.5% in 2021-2022.</li> <li>ASD diagnoses also rose from 0.2% in 2017-2018 to 0.7% in 2021-2022, with both increases remaining statistically significant after adjusting for demographic differences.</li> <li>Investigators noted that these findings underscore the need for targeted, trauma-informed intervention strategies in college settings.</li> </ul> <h2>IN PRACTICE:</h2> <p>“These trends highlight the escalating mental health challenges among college students, which is consistent with recent research reporting a surge in psychiatric diagnoses,” the authors wrote. “Factors contributing to this rise may include pandemic-related stressors (eg, loss of loved ones) and the effect of traumatic events (eg, campus shootings and racial trauma),” they added.</p> <h2>SOURCE:</h2> <p>The study was led by Yusen Zhai, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham. It was <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819206">published online</a> on May 30, 2024, in <em>JAMA Network Open</em>.</p> <h2>LIMITATIONS:</h2> <p>The study’s reliance on self-reported data and single questions for diagnosed PTSD and ASD may have limited the accuracy of the findings. The retrospective design and the absence of longitudinal follow-up may have restricted the ability to infer causality from the observed trends.</p> <h2>DISCLOSURES:</h2> <p>No disclosures were reported. No funding information was available.</p> <p>This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.</p> <p> <em>A version of this article appeared on <span class="Hyperlink"><a href="https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/ptsd-rates-soar-among-college-students-2024a1000asl?src=">Medscape.com</a></span>.</em> </p> </itemContent> </newsItem> <newsItem> <itemMeta> <itemRole>teaser</itemRole> <itemClass>text</itemClass> <title/> <deck/> </itemMeta> <itemContent> <p>Posttraumatic stress disorder rates among college students more than doubled between 2017 and 2022.</p> </itemContent> </newsItem> </itemSet></root>