2017 to 2022 Showed Increase in Prevalence of PTSD in College Students
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 30, 2024 -- From 2017 to 2022, there were increases in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) among U.S. college students, according to a research letter published online May 30 in JAMA Network Open.
Yusen Zhai, Ph.D., and Xue Du, Ph.D., from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, examined trends in prevalence of diagnosed PTSD and ASD among U.S. college students from 2017 to 2022 in a serial cross-sectional study involving participants from five waves of the Healthy Minds Study across 332 U.S. higher education institutions.
The researchers found that 4.9 percent (weighted) of the 392,377 participants had diagnosed PTSD and 0.5 percent (weighted) had diagnosed ASD. From 2017 to 2022, there were upward trends in the prevalence of PTSD and ASD. From 2017-2018 to 2021-2022, the prevalence of PTSD increased 4.1 percent (from 3.4 to 7.5 percent) and that of ASD increased 0.5 percent (from 0.2 to 0.7 percent). The increases in prevalence of PTSD and ASD remained significant after adjustment for participants' demographic differences (adjusted odds ratios, 2.15 and 2.25, respectively).
"These findings suggest the need for targeted, trauma-informed prevention and intervention strategies by mental health professionals and policy makers to support the affected student population," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2024
Read this next
Persistent, New Mucus Plugs Associated With Faster Decline in FEV1 in COPD
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), persistent and newly formed mucus plugs are associated with a faster decrease in forced...
Combinations of Chronic, Physical Illnesses Up the Risk of Subsequent Depression
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- Certain groups of physical multimorbidity may be associated with a higher risk of subsequent depression, according to a study published online May 13...
Adding Team Therapist Reduces Burnout for Critical Care Nurses
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- For nurses in critical care areas, adding a team therapist can reduce burnout and improve resilience, according to a study presented at the American...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.