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© 1974 Oxford University Press

research-article

An Epidemiological Study of the Mental Health of Australian University Students

A. J. MCMICHAEL1 and B. S. HETZEL2

12 Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Alfred Hospital Melbourne, Victoria, 3181, Australia.

Reprint requests should be addressed to Dr. A. J. McMichael.

An epidemiological study of the mental health of a population of 2, 041 students during their first two years at a new Australian university (Monash University, Melbourne) has been carried out. The study was based on a series of questionnaires given at enrolment and subsequently at the end of the second term, the end of the first year and after the end of the second year. The validity of student self-assessment of mental illness (SMl) was examined and found established on the basis of reproducibility in a subsequent 1970 cohort of 2, 038 students, stability, correlation with neuroticism score (EPI), correlation with psychosomatic symptoms, health service assessments, and non-correlation with sick role inclination. SMI of varying severity and duration was experienced by 38 per cent of first year students and 49 per cent of second year students. It was more frequent among females than males—SMI was strongly correlated with high subjective life stress, loneliness, changes of personal values, membership of the Arts faculty and living in a flat or rented room. Life situational factors of this kind were more significant for females than males. Socio-demographic data collected at enrolment were less strongly correlated with SMI, but self-assessment of previous ill health, personality (including particularly neuroticism as measured by the EPI), difficulty in discussion of problems with family, and dissatisfaction with school academic performance were the most relevant.

Poor mental health was positively correlated with poor examination performance and subsequent withdrawal from university. The SMI help-seeking rate was positively correlated with the severity of the illness. The findings of this study in an Australian university are similar to previous studies of students from Edinburgh and Harvard Universities. It is concluded that the epidemiological study of the mental health of students can be effectively undertaken through student self-assessment, and provides important indications for prevention.

Received 4 December 1973


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