Demographic, academic, and clinical characteristics of college students hospitalized for psychiatric crises.

Abstract

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. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).