College students hospitalized for psychiatric crises

I’m following a long post with a short one today. Morpeth-Provost, Brownson & Boyer (2024) published “Demographic, Academic, and Clinical Characteristics of College Students Hospitalized for Psychiatric Crises” in Journal of Counseling Psychology.  Abstract Impact Statement

“College students with psychiatric disabilities, particularly those with severe distress, have an increased risk of attrition from higher education. Highly distressed students may be hospitalized for psychiatric crises if there is a potential risk to their safety.

Although college students’ psychopathology has increased in severity over the last decade, hospitalized students remain an underresearched group at risk for attrition, trauma, suicide, and disconnection from their universities.

The present study explored demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics of 880 undergraduate and graduate students hospitalized between Spring 2016 and Spring 2021 at a large public university in the southwestern United States. Study aims were addressed by testing proportional differences in (a) demographics of the hospitalized sample versus the student body and (b) cross-tabulations of demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics by hospital admission status (voluntary or involuntary).

Results indicate that African American/Black and multiracial students; female, transgender, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or other nonheterosexual orientations students; undergraduates; and liberal arts, fine arts, and undeclared majors may be at increased risk for psychiatric hospitalization.

Gender identity, sexual orientation, semester hospitalized, initiating entity, university counseling center utilization, and the presence of high-priority symptoms and suicidality were significantly associated with hospital admission status. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. Severe psychopathology, suicide risk, and psychiatric hospitalizations continue to increase among college students. Study findings highlight groups of students who may be at increased risk for hospitalization. Identifying these groups provides direction for university clinicians and administrators in allocating prevention-related services and support to high-risk subgroups.”

This is a fairly large sample that I thought might be helpful to professionals working both with high school students heading off to college and those already in college. The findings are not surprising but suggest important risk factors.