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. 2022 Apr 19:1-18.
doi: 10.1007/s11469-022-00813-1. Online ahead of print.

Mental Health Risk Profiles and Related Substance Use During Coronavirus Pandemic Among College Students Who Use Substances

Margo Hurlocker  1 , Michael B Madson  2 , P Priscilla Lui  3 , Robert Dvorak  4 , Lindsay S Ham  5 , Thad Leffingwell  6 , Alison Looby  7 , Ellen Meier  8 , Kevin Montes  9 , Lucy E Napper  10 , Mark A Prince  11 , Monica Skewes  12 , Byron L Zamboanga  5 ; Harm Reduction Research Team
Affiliations

Mental Health Risk Profiles and Related Substance Use During Coronavirus Pandemic Among College Students Who Use Substances

Margo Hurlocker et al. Int J Ment Health Addict. .

Abstract

College students have shown elevated mental distress during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). The extent and persistence of mental distress as COVID-19 restrictions have continued is unclear. This study used latent profile analysis to identify student mental health risk subgroups and to evaluate subgroups in relation with substance use. A four-profile solution was supported with a sample of 930 college students (69.6% female, 58.1% White) from 11 US-based institutions. Students were characterized by slight mental health symptoms, mild mental health symptoms, moderate-to-severe mental health symptoms with mild psychosis/substance use, and severe mental health symptoms. The severe profile comprised more ethnoracial or sexual minorities and students impacted from COVID-19. Whereas the severe profile had more alcohol-related consequences, the slight profile had fewer cannabis-related consequences. COVID-19 has exacerbated college student risks for psychiatric disorders. Students of diverse backgrounds and more impacted by COVID-19 show disproportionately more mental distress and related substance use.

Keywords: Alcohol use; COVID-19; Cannabis use; DSM-5 level 1 measure; Emerging adults; Latent profile analysis; Multisite study.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow chart of participant inclusion
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Four latent profiles depicted by pattern of mean scores on the 13 mental health domains of the DSM-5 Level 1.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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