Psychological vulnerabilities among students: Two surveys about mental health at the University Lyon 1

In our society that tolerates no time constraint, youth and performance are honored while under the threat of a global uncertain future. Faced with this situation, young adults are subject to multiple and conflicting pressures. Empowerment injunctions, professional performance and personal fulfillment oppose forecasts of recession and lack of perspective, largely fueled by the media. Yet at all times, young adults are the preferential target for the emergence of psychopathological risks for the most serious diseases such as depression and schizophrenia. In order to fulfill our mission of Preventive University Health Program, we wanted to better assess the mental health risks in the student population. Our first survey.(2009) studied the prevalence for depression risk (Beck Inventory Depression 13) and schizophrenia (adapted from Mc Glashan's Scale of Prodromal Symptoms). The results show a 5.7% risk of pathological depression (n = 2728) and 5.2% of prodromal schizophrenia (n = 2351). Our second survey (2011) broadens the search for new dimensions (Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, Screening ADHD) with the addition of useful information to the students' profile. His operational method also allows crossing international scale items (n = 1899). The results show an inflation of students' vulnerability to 7.3% for severe depression and 8.3% for the schizophrenic prodrome. In addition, 10% of youngsters report having had suicidal thoughts or projects whereas very low self-esteem scores affect nearly 1 in 5 students, especially the youngest ones. Those results confirm the need for a prevention policy, and actions are already planned in the field. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.