College student mental health: Psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing

Objective: To examine both psychiatric risk and psychological wellbeing in a college student sample drawn from a majority-minority university.

Participants: 100 participants (42% White; 70 females), mean age, 21.22 years.

Methods: Univariate and multivariate analyses examined the relationship of psychiatric risk (Brief Symptom Inventory; BSI) and psychological wellbeing (Mental Health Continuum-Short Form; MHC-SF) with student stress, cognition, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and a new Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) scale.

Results: Risk correlated with increased student stress, higher ACEs and lower PCEs, whereas wellbeing correlated with lower student stress, better neuropsychological functioning, lower ACE and increased PCEs. PCEs predicted enhanced MHC-SF wellbeing and reduced BSI risk, accounting for 22.4% and 13.7% of variance in these measures, respectively. ACEs predicted elevated BSI risk and diminished MHC-SF wellbeing accounting for 8.6% and 5.9% of variance in these measures, respectively.

Conclusion: College student mental health may benefit from practices aim specifically to enhance wellbeing, stress-resistance, and cognition.