Many young adults (age 17-19) move away from home for the first time to attend university. This transitional period from high school into a student’s first (freshman) year introduces an increase in psychological autonomy related to making their own independent decisions.1 Students are thus faced with challenges that require adapting to an environment with new rules and higher academic workload. These challenges bring new stressors which could influence their self-perceived health which is the subjective perception of how healthy mentally and physically a person feels.2An individual may not even be aware of any physical changes but simply just does not feel well. The current report from the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (2018) states that nearly 1 in 5 university students are affected by feelings of anxiety and/or depression.3

The incidence of depression in undergraduate university students is a growing concern, both in Canada (37.5%) and the USA (33.2%).4 Undergraduate students self-reported (2013) that they had difficulty functioning at points during their academic year because of depression.4While this statistic may be surprising, most studies have shown about 75% of all life-long mental illnesses emerge by a person’s mid-twenties5 and students in undergraduate university studies are typically between the ages of 18 to 25. Students who are depressed can experience up to half a letter grade drop in grade point average (GPA) and have an increased likelihood of dropping out.6,7

This information is not entirely new; the link between mental illness and academic difficulty in college has been supported by the literature for the past twenty years. Kessler et al. (2007), estimated that 7.2 million people in the United States were unable to finish college because of an early onset psychiatric disorder.5 Despite, efforts within the last ten years to make mental health a priority in most universities Eisenberg et al., (2009), states that about 39% of students with the highest level of depression had not received any professional help.7 Garlow, Rosenberg, Moore et al. found even more unfavourable results with 85% of undergraduate students with moderate to severe depression not receiving any counselling or psychiatric treatment (2008).8

On-campus counselling services at many universities across North America have seen an increase in the number of students accessing mental health services in addition to an increase in the severity of problems reported by students.9 Prior to 1994, counselling services across the United States cited relationship problems as being the most common reason university students attended counselling. In the years following 1994, the most common reason students attended counselling was to receive help coping with stress and anxiety. Since 1994, the number of depressed students has also doubled, and the number of students feeling suicidal has tripled.9This is a cause for concern now and in the future, especially since the European Commission, in September of 2004, predicted a 50% increase in diagnosed mental disorders across the globe by the year 2020.10

Not only is mental health a very big concern on university campuses but students are largely unprepared to cope with their changing stress levels. First year university seems to be the most critical time for adaptation because of the numbers of stressors it can generate. Therefore, an ideal time to educate students regarding mental and physical wellness is in their first semester when they are beginning to feel overwhelmed or anxious but not aware of any physical symptoms. The study purpose was to measure the mental and physical wellness of first year undergraduate students over the course of the fall semester using a quality of life questionnaire in a large university in western Canada.

This study was a subset of a larger prospective study called Recreation Exercise Caloric Expenditure Sitting and Sleep study in first-year university students (RECESS). The RECESS study employed several questionnaires, which measured: energy expenditure, sitting time, physical activity intensity, and general wellness in a sample of undergraduate students during the fall semester of their first year. The sample size (N=105) for the RECESS study was powered on weight change at an alpha level of 0.05. The study was granted institutional ethical approval and written informed consent was obtained before the data collection began.

This study measured mental and physical wellness using the SF-36v2 quality of life questionnaire in first year undergraduate students with a mean age of 18.2 ± 1.1 yrs. over a fall semester. Students’ self-rated level of mental wellness (MCS) decreased significantly during their first semester; a result supported by previous literature in a population of medical students.17,18

These decreases in self-rated wellbeing, which although may not be unexpected likely lead to academic performance consequences and may change the students’ ability to enjoy their university experience. Previous research states that declining mental health has the potential to influence dropout rate and other health problems.19 As well, changes in mental health may affect the time and effort that students place on their academic pursuits and campus activities, decreasing their level of student engagement.20Further investigation into the academic consequences in a first-year undergraduate university population is warranted as previously suggested by Hussain and colleagues, in 2013.21

The change in students’ self-rated mental wellness (MSC) over the semester was statistically (p <0.001) but not clinically significant as the MCS requires a difference of 27 points (range 1-100) to be equivalent to the impact of serious depressive symptoms.22Student’s domain scores (MH 76.3 ± 14.12, RE 82.72 ± 20.63, SF 88.79 ± 15.59, VT 59.10 ± 15.25) at the semester start (pre-test) were higher than a similar university population (mean age 18.1 ± 1.41; MH 66.5 ± 17.56, RE 56.96 ± 40.69, SF 73.75 ± 21.78, VT 55.96 ± 40.69).23 However, all four domains within the MCS decreased significantly in our population over the semester (MH p=0.019, RE p=0.014, SF p=0.004, VT p=0.003). Vitality had the lowest and closest to the mid line score at the post-test (53.49 ± 19.80) and this decrease in VT is considered a common reaction of students when they are feeling overwhelmed by academic demands.23 Poor VT can manifest itself in many ways but sleep quality is often identified and sleep plays a significant role in the cognitive processes related to mental health.24 SF (88.79 ± 15.59) can also influence the ability to cope with emotions and this domain score was the highest in our population and it may have been influenced by the previous summer activities. It’s possible that both domains (SF and VT) would further decrease over the second semester (winter) since stress has a known additive effect. These results suggest the need to offer programs on how to balance school and social commitments to cope with emotional distress so vitality is maintained early in the term of the first semester. Mental health promotion in first year should aim to enhance student’s ability to achieve psychosocial well-being while learning to anticipate further adversity.

An interesting finding in our analysis was that PCS did not change (p=0.242). We could speculate that these students were protected in their first semester because of their high RE (82.72 ±20.63) at the beginning of their first undergraduate year. However, as they move forward in their degree this may erode and the physical symptoms of stress may become noticeable. Clearly, having a longer study duration would be helpful in showing these mental health trends and or changes.

The associated PCS domain scores were generally higher at the beginning of the semester (PF 90.07 ± 14.55, RE 88.69 ± 14.34, BP 81.43 ± 15.67, and GH 74.19 ±14.37) when compared to a similar university population (PF 90.01 ± 12.26, RE 74.64 ± 32.53, BP 74.74 ± 21.04, and GH 62.28 ±17.14).23 This may be because over half of our sample was from kinesiology and these students prioritize their physical role and likely perceive themselves to be quite healthy versus a general studies sample of students.

Similarly, no correlation between BMI and mental wellness was found, and given the large amount of literature on the ‘Freshman 15’, a longer study duration would be important in identifying any trends related to this.25 However, BMI decreases general health which reiterates the importance of continuing to encourage students to be active and adopt healthy habits.23 This suggests the importance of more measures than just health promotion messaging alongside with coping strategies for maintaining mental wellness.

Academic success of students is enhanced by mental wellness 2,26,27 and therefore there is value in investing in the mental health of students. In this study first year student’s mental health decreased during the fall semester while their physical health remained the same. First line treatments usually include psychological therapies and medication, however psychological counselling spaces are limited and difficult to book. Postsecondary counseling services in Canadian Universities have identified wait-list issues and funding concerns, with 78% reporting they are unable to meet the growing demand for services.28

Currently, a forward cultural shift seems to be occurring in mental health at universities in both Canada and the USA, with the implementation of a Mental Health Task Force.29,30 Part of this cultural shift is a focus on contributing factors to good mental health, e.g. time management, adequate sleep, regular meals, and physical activity that also includes recreation in the outdoors.31,32While not always discussed and certainly not a replacement for medication or psychological health these changeable lifestyle factors do influence mental health and need to be encouraged and made accessible to those struggling. For example, the University of Calgary (Alberta) has adopted the term ‘UFlourish’ based on Keyes’ research (2011) that the absence of a mental illness is not the same as positive mental health.33 UFlourish was designed with a series of activities aimed at building resiliency and positive mental health. Small meaningful changes can still be made even when there are time restrictions and financial limitations in a student’s life. Similarly, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has adopted several strategies such as appointing faculty “wellness advisors,” and sponsoring wellness initiatives to promote self-care. Their overarching goal is to provide schoolwide initiatives that help improve mental health and reduce stress among students.18

Promoting physical activity in universities may be another promising way to treat the growing number of depressed students in a cost-effective and efficient way. For example, in 2018 the University of Calgary (Alberta) Student Union Wellness Centre launched a peer support program combining social support and moderate intensity exercise. Students complete a one hour walk with a trained Peer Support volunteer while discussing concerns such as social isolation, academic stress and lifestyle changes. Many studies have shown physical activity has a positive way to decrease depression in an adult population26 but few studies have been conducted in undergraduate student population. The current literature supports physical activity, as an approach to decrease the level of depression in a non-clinical sample of undergraduate students.26,34,35,36

Despite the relative strengths of a prospective study, there are also limitations to consider. This student sample lacked diversity (e.g. ethnicity, gender, geographical region, and sexual minority) and was under powered and only reached 69% of sample size for the overall study (RECESS). Future studies should try to recruit larger samples of males and minority groups to increase diversity and examine critical differences in physical and mental wellness components as a function of academic institutions. In addition, this study focused on first year students at a single university in a western Canadian province that is home to three other universities. While these results must be taken with caution, given the limited sample, they are consistent with a large amount of literature.17,18,19,23,29 The SF-36v2 survey does not include “health distress, family functioning, sexual functioning, cognitive functioning and sleep disorders” (pp. 479).37 These additional dimensions particularly sleep disorders would strengthen the survey, if they did not result in increasing participant burden. As stated previously, a longer study duration may help identify trends that highlight whether physical wellness changes along-side of mental wellness.

Several variables related to mental health declined in this population of undergraduate students in their first semester. It is well documented that student mental health is impacted by a variety of factors such as the transition to university from high school,36 academic pressure, technology dependence, commuting issues and financial difficulties, it would seem that more still needs to be done to assist with maintaining and improving mental health on campuses, particularly in the first semester of the first year.38 Unfortunately, a lack of resources, is often cited as a reason why universities are unable to effectively implement programs that help students learn to cope.18 Given these shortages in counselling resources, the demand for mental health treatment in the student population will only continue to increase. The recognition that vitality needs to be maintained or increased in this population underscores the importance of a mental health primary prevention focus39 as early as possible in a student’s university career. This upstream approach of advocating for educating students about mental and physical wellness in their first year may also alleviate the demand for counselling and treatment in the following years of a university degree.