Psychological distress and related factors in female college students.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the psychological distress in Spanish college women and analyzed it in relation to sociodemographic and academic factors.

PARTICIPANTS AND

METHODS

The authors selected a stratified random sampling of 1,043 college women (average age of 22.2 years). Sociodemographic and academic information were collected, and psychological distress was assessed with the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised.

RESULTS

This sample of college women scored the highest on the depression dimension and the lowest on the phobic anxiety dimension. The sample scored higher than women of the general population on the dimensions of obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, and on the Global Severity Index. Scores in the sample significantly differed based on age, relationship status, financial independence, year of study, and area of study.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated an elevated level of psychological distress among college women, and therefore college health services need to devote more attention to their mental health.