Open AccessThe role impairment associated with mental disorder risk profiles in the WHO World Mental Health International College Student Initiative
Author(s) -
Alonso Jordi,
Vilagut Gemma,
Mortier Philippe,
Auerbach Randy P.,
Bruffaerts Ronny,
Cuijpers Pim,
Demyttenaere Koen,
Ebert David D.,
Ennis Edel,
GutiérrezGarcía Raul A.,
Green Jennifer Greif,
Hasking Penelope,
Lee Sue,
Bantjes Jason,
Nock Matthew K.,
PinderAmaker Stephanie,
Sampson Nancy A.,
Zaslavsky Alan M.,
Kessler Ronald C.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
international journal of methods in psychiatric research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.275
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1557-0657
pISSN - 1049-8931
DOI - 10.1002/mpr.1750
Subject(s) - comorbidity , national comorbidity survey , depression (economics) , mental health , psychiatry , latent class model , psychology , prevalence of mental disorders , clinical psychology , panic disorder , population , functional impairment , medicine , anxiety , environmental health , statistics , mathematics , economics , macroeconomics
Objective The objective of this study is to assess the contribution of mental comorbidity to role impairment among college students. Methods Web‐based self‐report surveys from 14,348 first‐year college students (Response Rate [RR] = 45.5%): 19 universities, eight countries of the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative. We assessed impairment (Sheehan Disability Scales and number of days out of role [DOR] in the past 30 days) and seven 12‐month DSM‐IV disorders. We defined six multivariate mental disorder classes using latent class analysis (LCA). We simulated population attributable risk proportions (PARPs) of impairment. Results Highest prevalence of role impairment was highest among the 1.9% of students in the LCA class with very high comorbidity and bipolar disorder (C1): 78.3% of them had severe role impairment (vs. 20.8%, total sample). Impairment was lower in two other comorbid classes (C2 and C3) and successively lower in the rest. A similar monotonic pattern was found for DOR. Both LCA classes and some mental disorders (major depression and panic, in particular) were significant predictors of role impairment. PARP analyses suggest that eliminating all mental disorders might reduce severe role impairment by 64.6% and DOR by 44.3%. Conclusions Comorbid mental disorders account for a substantial part of role impairment in college students.