Exploration of factors associated with complete mental health among postsecondary students

Postsecondary students are at risk for mental health problems and there has been an overall reduction in flourishing in recent years. The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with general mental health among students from one postsecondary institution (n = 1082). The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form was used as the outcome, which categorizes individuals as being languishing (i.e., state of incomplete mental health), moderately mentally healthy, or flourishing (i.e., positive mental health). A multivariable ordered logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors associated with more favourable dimensions of mental health. Most students were moderately mentally healthy (53%), compared to flourishing (32%), and languishing (15%). Factors significantly associated with positive mental health included students who: (i) participated in meditation, (ii) participated in physical exercise, (iii) frequently experienced challenges that helped them grow, (iv) felt one's campus did enough to protect students from COVID-19, and (v) felt they were part of a campus that looked out for others. This provides further evidence for investing in mental health training for instructors, promoting positive coping strategies within the student population, campuswide implementation of a universal approach to health promotion, and building a sense of community.