Mental health and lifestyle health behaviors among commuter college students

Commuter college students face unique circumstances and stressors that may impact their well-being, yet this is an area of research that has been largely unexplored. This study examines mental health and lifestyle health behaviors of commuter college students. Participants were 576 undergraduates (62% female, 81% non-White, 20.31 ± 3.02 years) attending an urban public commuter college. Participants completed a cross-sectional, anonymous, web-based survey that included validated measures of mood, anxiety, stress, sleep quality, and physical activity. Overall, 58.6% screened positive for depression, 37.8% screened positive for generalized anxiety, 57.5% had poor sleep quality, and only 23.3% met physical activity recommendations. More females screened positive for depression and anxiety and had poor sleep quality than males, and fewer females met activity recommendations. Being physically active and having good sleep quality were associated with better mental health. Findings reflect high rates of mental health problems and low engagement in health behaviors, particularly among women. Opportunities to address the well-being of commuter college students are discussed.