Substance Use and Mental Health in Emerging Adult University Students Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: A Comparative Study.

Substance Use and Mental Health in Emerging Adult University Students Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: A Comparative Study.

Publication date: Nov 27, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mental health and substance use patterns, particularly among young adults. This study aimed to assess changes in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and substance use among university students in Mexico before, during, and after the pandemic. Using a repeated cross-sectional design, this study was conducted with university students in Mexico across three periods: pre-pandemic (2017 and 2019); during the pandemic (2021); and post-pandemic (2023). A total of 2167 students were interviewed during one of the three periods. Standardized scales measured anxiety, depression, self-esteem, Erotic Response and Sexual Orientation Scale (EROS), and substance use. showed a marked and significant increase in the proportion of students with anxiety (40. 0%, 71. 7%, and 79. 6%) and depression (14. 4%, 61. 9%, and 62. 6%) during the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods, respectively. Self-esteem significantly decreased during and after the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic, particularly among females. The proportion of students categorized as moderate/high-risk for their substance use changed over time, showing a reduction in alcohol use (from 29. 9% to 20. 2%) and tobacco use (from 26. 0% to 18. 2%) but an increase in sedative use (from 7. 1% to 11. 7%), before vs after the pandemic, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that anxiety, low self-esteem, and increased sedative use were consistently linked to a heightened risk of depression during and after the pandemic. Notably, anxiety and depression levels remained in a proportion significantly elevated even in the post-pandemic period. These findings underscore the enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions, early detection strategies, and customized educational programs to effectively support students’ mental well-being in the ongoing post-pandemic era.

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Concepts Keywords
Anxiety anxiety
Covid COVID-19
Females depression
Mexico substance use
university students

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH Substance Use
disease MESH COVID-19 Pandemic
disease MESH anxiety
disease MESH depression
drug DRUGBANK Ethanol
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH mental disorders
disease MESH uncertainty
drug DRUGBANK Amphetamine
disease MESH Anxiety Disorder
disease MESH emergency
disease MESH privacy
drug DRUGBANK Aspartame
drug DRUGBANK Pentaerythritol tetranitrate
drug DRUGBANK Methyl isocyanate
disease MESH complications
disease IDO history

Original Article

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