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Cited by 579Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesMental Health Treatment and AccessStudent Stress and Coping

Trends in mood and anxiety symptoms and suicide-related outcomes among U.S. undergraduates, 2007–2018: Evidence from two national surveys

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Duffy, Mary E., Twenge, Jean M., Joiner, Thomas E.·2019·Journal of Adolescent Health
DOI 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.04.033
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Abstract

Purpose Past work has evidenced increased utilization of mental health services on college campuses, as well as rising rates of mood and suicide-related pathology in adolescents and young adults in recent years. We examined whether such findings are reflective of large-scale, nationwide trends in college student mental health in the past decade.Methods We examined trends in mood, anxiety, and suicide-related outcomes among U.S. college students from 2007 to 2018 across two large national datasets: (1) the National College Health Assessment (n = 610,543; mean age = 21.25 years; 67.7% female; and 72.0% white) and (2) the Healthy Minds Study (n = 177,692; 86% students aged 18-22 years; 57% female; and 74% white). Participants, randomly selected by their educational institution, completed self-report measures of past-year mood, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.Results In both samples, rates of depression, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts markedly increased over the assessed years, with rates doubling over the period in many cases. Anger, low flourishing, and suicide plans, each assessed in only one dataset, also exhibited upward trends.Conclusions Findings demonstrate a broad worsening of mental health among U.S. college students over the past decade, a concerning result meriting further attention and intervention.

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  • Rates of adolescent-emergent mental health problems (depressive and anxiety disorders, NSSI, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors) have been increasing worldwide, especially over the past decade, and most notably amongst girls.

    “Layered atop these well-known developmental trajectories, a series of new findings indicate that rates of these adolescent-emergent mental health problems (depressive and anxiety disorders, NSSI, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors) have been increasing worldwide -- especially over the past decade, and most notably amongst girls.(2,20–23)”

    From Puberty Initiates Cascading Relationships Between Neurodevelopmental, Social, and Internalizing Processes Across Adolescence (2021) · cites this paper as [22]

  • Women appear to have a greater tendency toward emotional disorders, which could incur more suicide-related outcomes across the life course.

    “Women appear to have a greater tendency toward emotional disorders, which could incur more suicide-related outcomes across the life course [ 83 ].”

    From Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among Youth Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Network Analysis (2023) · cites this paper as [83]

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Authors
Duffy, M. E., Twenge, J. M., & Joiner, T. E.
Affiliations
  • Florida State University (US)
  • San Diego State University (US)
Corresponding author
Duffy, Mary E.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Adolescent Health
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2019-11
Volume
65
Issue
5
Pages
590-598
ISSN
1054-139X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.04.033
OpenAlex
W2953777207
Cited by
579
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 58 · 2025: 87 · 2024: 98 · 2023: 104 · 2022: 108 · 2021: 87 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 3
FWCI
67.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Adolescent Health (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (NSF 1449440)
  • U.S. Department of Defense (W81XWH-16-2-0003)
  • National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
Keywords
college student mental health, mood disorders, depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, suicide planning, anger, eudaimonia, temporal trends, National College Health Assessment, Healthy Minds Study
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Affect, Anger, Anxiety, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Students, Suicide, Attempted, United States, Universities, Self-Injurious Behavior, Young Adult, Suicidal Ideation, Datasets as Topic

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