College Students’ Mental Health In Ukraine: Identifying Protective And Risk Factors

This study examined the contribution of several risk and protective factors to the development of anxiety, depression, and somatic problems among college students in Ukraine. A cross-sectional survey (N = 997) was conducted to determine the extent to which various predicting factors such as family communication, family satisfaction, social network, health promoting behaviors, sleep disturbances, substance use, childhood neglect, food insecurity, and general self-efficacy contribute to experiencing anxiety, depression, and somatic problems among college students. Broadly, results indicate that approximately every fifth student reported a clinical level of anxiety and depression, and every sixth student lived with somatic symptoms. Results of structural equation modeling suggested unique sets of paths for anxiety, depression, and somatic problems among male and female participants. The increased substance use was associated with higher anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints for both male and female participants. Sleep disturbances were associated with having more symptoms of anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints for all participants. Engaging in healthy behaviors was linked with fewer symptoms of depression for male and female participants. Self-efficacy predicted anxiety and somatic complaints only for female participants. While food insecurity predicted depression and somatic complaints uniquely for male participants