Prevalence of mental disorders among Norwegian college and university students: a population-based cross-sectional analysis

BACKGROUND: Self-report data indicate a sharp increase in mental health problems among college and university students in recent years, but accurate prevalence estimates of mental disorders are lacking. The current study used a validated psychiatric diagnostic survey, developed into a self-administered electronic version, to examine the prevalence of common mental disorders in a large national sample of college and university students in Norway. METHODS: Participants (aged 18–35 years) from the national Students’ Health and Wellbeing (SHOT) Study in 2022 were recruited to a follow-up online survey of mental disorders from January to February 2023 (n = 10,460). Current (30-days), 12-months and lifetime prevalence of common mental disorders were examined using a newly developed self-administered electronic version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 5.0). FINDINGS: The prevalence of a current mental disorder was high for both women (39.7% [2737/6886], 95% CI 38.6–40.9) and men (25.7% [751/2918], 95% CI 24.2–27.4). The most common disorders were major depressive episode (females 17.1% [1250/7329] and males 10.8% [331/3059]) and generalized anxiety disorder (females 16.0% [1157/7221] and males 8.2% [250/3032]), while 5.6% [387/6948] and 7.7% [228/2963] of the females and male students, respectively, fulfilled the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. The prevalence estimates for 12-month and lifetime were, as expected, even higher. INTERPRETATION: The findings suggest an alarmingly high prevalence of several mental disorders among Norwegian college and university students. Implications and potential methodological and contextual explanations of these findings are discussed. FUNDING: 10.13039/501100017488Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.