Objective: This study examined rates of positive screens for depression and posttraumatic stress and their comorbidity among undergraduate (N = 77) and graduate (N = 136) students who participated in on-campus Spiritual-Mind-Body (SMB) wellness interventions.
Methods: Participants completed the PHQ-9 and the PCL-C before starting an 8-week in-person SMB wellness intervention. Elevated depression was indicated by a score of ≥10 on the PHQ-9; elevated posttraumatic stress (PTS) was indicated by a score of ≥30 on the PCL-C.
Results: There were unexpectedly high rates of posttraumatic stress among both undergraduate (39%) and graduate (32%) students without the presence of comorbid depression. A small minority of students experienced depression apart from elevated PTS symptoms. Overall, students reported high levels of clinically relevant psychopathology.
Conclusion: On-campus wellness centers may offer an appropriate setting for the screening of trauma-related distress and depression and their comorbidity to address the psychiatric concerns of SMB wellness-seeking students.
Keywords: College student mental health; depression; post-traumatic stress; spiritual-mind-body wellness; spirituality.