The British Journal of Psychiatry 140: 374-377 (1982)
© 1982 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric illness after leaving university: a five-year follow-up of students
ZM Hall, LP Sheil and WE Waters
Ninety-one undergraduates who had been referred to the Southampton
University psychiatrist and matched controls who had not sought psychiatric
help were followed up yearly for five years by questionnaire. The response
rate for cases and controls was poor, but the difference in psychiatric
morbidity was large. At least 26 of the patients subsequently consulted a
doctor for emotional problems as against five of the controls; 17 of the
patients were again referred to a psychiatrist, but none of the controls.
It is concluded that students who are referred to a psychiatrist during
their University course have a much higher rate of psychiatric morbidity in
the five years after they leave University than do students who have not
been so referred.