ArticleDiseases (Basel, Switzerland)2024
Substance Use and Mental Health in Emerging Adult University Students Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: A Comparative Study.
Article in Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Knowledge and Use of Herbal Medicine Among Urban Adolescents and Young Adults in Western Mexico: Family Transmission, Social Media Exposure, and Associated Factors.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Alcohol Consumption and Depressive Symptoms in Romanian University Students: Post-Pandemic Insights from a Non-Clinical Cohort.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Psychosocial risk for substance use in 80,000 Mexican undergraduates: mental health and academic strain.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Changes in Anxiety Symptoms and Eating Patterns Among Emerging Adult Students in a Non-Traditional School Program During a Mathematics Examination.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Understanding High-Risk Behavior in Mexican University Youth: Links Between Sexual Attitudes, Substance Use, and Mental Health.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Comparing Perspectives on Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use in Oncology: Insights from Healthcare Professionals and Oncology Patients in Western Mexico.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Article
- Differential Effects of Pandemic-Related Stressors on Mental Health by Age and Sex.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The double closet: Mental health needs of LGB college students from an intersectional perspective.PloS one · 2025Article
- Cross-sectional psychometric validation, convergent validity, and measurement invariance of the DASS-21 in Mexican university students.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
17 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted mental health and substance use patterns, particularly among young adults.
objectiveThis study aimed to assess changes in anxiety, depression, self-esteem, and substance use among university students in Mexico before, during, and after the pandemic.
methodsUsing 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.
resultsshowed 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.
conclusionsThese 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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