Psychiatric disorder prevalence and co-morbidity among college students: An examination of depression, anxiety, disordered gambling, and alcohol-related problems

We examined the past year prevalence and co-morbidity of depression, anxiety, disordered gambling and alcohol-related problems among a sample of undergraduate students (n = 1,430) who were enrolled in an introductory health course at a large, southeastern university. Participants completed an online assessment that included scales to assess depression (Personal Health Questionnaire Depression 9-item scale; PHQ-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale; GAD-7), disordered gambling (DSM-IV pathological gambling criteria) and alcohol-related problems (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; AUDIT). We calculated prevalence rates for each disorder and computed Pearson correlations and cross tabulations to examine associations and co-morbidity among the disorders. We found the following past-year prevalence rates: 17.9% experienced moderate or major depression (PHQ-9 score > 10); 21.0% experienced moderate to major anxiety (GAD-7 score > 10); 4.2% of participants experienced disordered gambling (endorsement of > 3 DSM-IV criteria); and 38.0% experienced moderate to severe alcohol-related problems (AUDIT score > 8). Pearson correlations indicated that all disorders were significantly associated (p < .01) except for disordered gambling and anxiety. Similarly, cross tabulation results indicated high levels of co-morbidity among the various disorders with the exception of disordered gambling and anxiety. Our results are consistent with co-morbidity findings among the general population; however, in contrast to other studies, we did not find a correlation between disordered gambling and anxiety. Because individuals who experience one psychiatric disorder are at increased risk of experiencing co-occurring disorders, it might be useful to also screen and intervene for co-occurring disorders and tailor interventions accordingly.