Trends in incidence of self-harm, neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions among university students compared with the general population: nationwide electronic data linkage study in Wales

Background Concern that self-harm and mental health conditions are increasing in university students may reflect widening access to higher education, existing population trends and/or stressors associated with this setting.Aims To compare population-level data on self-harm, neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions between university students and non-students with similar characteristics before and during enrolment.Method This cohort study linked electronic records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency for 2012-2018 to primary and secondary healthcare records. Students were undergraduates aged 18 to 24 years at university entry. Non-students were pseudo-randomly selected based on an equivalent age distribution. Logistic regressions were used to calculate odds ratios. Poisson regressions were used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRR).Results The study included 96 760 students and 151 795 non-students. Being male, self-harm and mental health conditions recorded before university entry, and higher deprivation levels, resulted in lower odds of becoming a student and higher odds of drop-out from university. IRRs for self-harm, depression, anxiety, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), drug use and schizophrenia were lower for students. IRRs for self-harm, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, ASD, alcohol use and schizophrenia increased more in students than in non-students over time. Older students experienced greater risk of self-harm and mental health conditions, whereas younger students were more at risk of alcohol use than non-student counterparts.Conclusions Mental health conditions in students are common and diverse. While at university, students require person-centred stepped care, integrated with local third-sector and healthcare services to address specific conditions.