Mental health, academic performance, and addictive behaviors among university student carers.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- 2Laboratory of Psychosomatics and Clinimetrics, Department of Psychology "Renzo Canestrari", University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy.
- 3School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
- 4Department of Education Sciences "G. M. Bertin", University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Abstract
Student mental health is an emerging global public health priority in higher education. Preliminary evidence indicates that caregiving is a mental health risk factor in university students. This study investigates demographic, educational, and caregiving variables as potential risk factors for university student carer mental health (anxiety, depression), addictive behaviors, and academic performance problems. 2,533 university students in Italy completed an online cross-sectional survey assessing depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), 10 addictive behaviors (Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addictions), and self-assessed academic performance. Predictors included demographics variables (sex, age, nationality), educational variables (degree programme, residential status, enrollment status), caregiving context variables (carer-care recipient relationship, care recipient's type of health condition) and caregiving responsibilities. Student carers living with a family member with a serious health condition comprised 30.1% of the sample (n = 762). Compared with non-carers, carers reported higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.83, 95% CI [1.33, 2.33]; β = 0.14), higher anxiety symptoms (B = 1.32, 95% CI [0.87, 1.77]; β = 0.11), and lower academic performance (B = -0.21, 95% CI [-0.39, -0.02]; β = -0.05). Carer status was also associated with higher odds of problematic involvement in cannabis (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.25, 2.28]), food consumption (OR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.34, 1.95]), shopping (OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.09, 1.78]), videogaming (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.06, 1.57]), and social-network use (OR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.06, 1.50]). Within the student-carer subgroup, after adjusting for all demographic, educational, caregiving-context, and caregiving-responsibility variables, caring for a family member with a mental health condition or intellectual disability was associated with higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.66, 95% CI [0.54, 2.79]). Greater caregiving responsibilities were associated with higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.12, 95% CI [0.62, 1.62]), higher anxiety symptoms (B = 1.01, 95% CI [0.57, 1.44]), and higher odds of problematic food consumption (OR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.10, 1.59]), and physical exercise (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.08, 1.59]). Findings replicate prior evidence showing student carers are at higher risk than non-carer peers for mental health problems. Results extend prior research showing student carers are also at higher risk for addictive behaviors and poorer self-assessed academic performance. Findings highlight the incremental and simultaneous contributions of demographic, educational, and caregiving variables as risk factors for student carer mental health and addictive behaviors.
Related
- Academic Discipline, Self-Medication, and Medication-Related Behaviors in Premenstrual Symptom Management Among Female University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.
- Filling the void: sense of absence as a comprehensive bridge between attachment, parent–adolescent communication, and addictive behaviors among adolescents
- Prevalence of adult attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder symptoms among university students and their relation to sleeping duration, time management skills, and academic performance
- Medical Students’ Knowledge, Awareness, and Behaviors Regarding Food, Dietary Supplement, and Drug Interactions Across Academic Years
- Blood donation knowledge, attitudes, previous donation and student community engagement at Rajshahi University, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study
BibTeX
@article{landi2026mental,
title = {{Mental health, academic performance, and addictive behaviors among university student carers.}},
author = {Giulia Landi and Kenneth I Pakenham and Federica Ambrosini and Zhangxuan Bao and Eliana Tossani and Silvana Grandi},
journal = {Frontiers in psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1971038},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952833},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mental health, academic performance, and addictive behaviors among university student carers.
AU - Giulia Landi
AU - Kenneth I Pakenham
AU - Federica Ambrosini
AU - Zhangxuan Bao
AU - Eliana Tossani
AU - Silvana Grandi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1971038
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42952833
AB - Student mental health is an emerging global public health priority in higher education. Preliminary evidence indicates that caregiving is a mental health risk factor in university students. This study investigates demographic, educational, and caregiving variables as potential risk factors for university student carer mental health (anxiety, depression), addictive behaviors, and academic performance problems. 2,533 university students in Italy completed an online cross-sectional survey assessing depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), 10 addictive behaviors (Screener for Substance and Behavioral Addictions), and self-assessed academic performance. Predictors included demographics variables (sex, age, nationality), educational variables (degree programme, residential status, enrollment status), caregiving context variables (carer-care recipient relationship, care recipient's type of health condition) and caregiving responsibilities. Student carers living with a family member with a serious health condition comprised 30.1% of the sample (n = 762). Compared with non-carers, carers reported higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.83, 95% CI [1.33, 2.33]; β = 0.14), higher anxiety symptoms (B = 1.32, 95% CI [0.87, 1.77]; β = 0.11), and lower academic performance (B = -0.21, 95% CI [-0.39, -0.02]; β = -0.05). Carer status was also associated with higher odds of problematic involvement in cannabis (OR = 1.69, 95% CI [1.25, 2.28]), food consumption (OR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.34, 1.95]), shopping (OR = 1.39, 95% CI [1.09, 1.78]), videogaming (OR = 1.29, 95% CI [1.06, 1.57]), and social-network use (OR = 1.26, 95% CI [1.06, 1.50]). Within the student-carer subgroup, after adjusting for all demographic, educational, caregiving-context, and caregiving-responsibility variables, caring for a family member with a mental health condition or intellectual disability was associated with higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.66, 95% CI [0.54, 2.79]). Greater caregiving responsibilities were associated with higher depressive symptoms (B = 1.12, 95% CI [0.62, 1.62]), higher anxiety symptoms (B = 1.01, 95% CI [0.57, 1.44]), and higher odds of problematic food consumption (OR = 1.32, 95% CI [1.10, 1.59]), and physical exercise (OR = 1.31, 95% CI [1.08, 1.59]). Findings replicate prior evidence showing student carers are at higher risk than non-carer peers for mental health problems. Results extend prior research showing student carers are also at higher risk for addictive behaviors and poorer self-assessed academic performance. Findings highlight the incremental and simultaneous contributions of demographic, educational, and caregiving variables as risk factors for student carer mental health and addictive behaviors.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -