title: Individual, interpersonal, and institutional level factors associated with the mental health of college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the individual, interpersonal, and institutional level factors that are associated with overall mental health among college students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are from an online cross-sectional survey of 2,203 students currently enrolled at a large public university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mental health was ascertained using a subcomponent of the RAND Medical Outcomes Study functioning and well-being measures developed by the RAND corporation. Stepwise regression was used to determine if self-reported measures of individual (ie, coping abilities), interpersonal (ie, intergroup awareness), and institutional (ie, campus climate/tension) level factors were associated with overall mental health, after controlling for demographic characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The combined effects of both individual and institutional level measures were associated with student mental health. In particular, limited coping abilities and a perceived racially tense campus climate contributed to the psychological distress of college students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simultaneously addressing the individual and institutional level influences on mental health offers the most promising help for students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. deannahbyrd@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Deannah R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: Kristen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McKinney
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009862:Online Systems; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D057566:Self Report; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*