The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on college and university campuses internationally (e.g., widespread campus closures, transitions to online learning). Postsecondary students, who were already a developmentally vulnerable population, are now facing additional new challenges, which could lead to increased mental health concerns. However, there is a paucity of research on the psychological impacts of COVID-19, or who may be most at risk, among postsecondary students. To address these gaps in the literature, we recontacted a sample of 773 postsecondary students (74% female, Mage = 18.52) who previously completed a survey on student mental health in May 2019, again in May 2020. Students filled out an online survey at both time points, reporting on their recent stressful experiences and mental health. Although we expected that students with preexisting mental health concerns would show increased psychological distress during the pandemic, this hypothesis was not supported. Instead, repeated-measures analyses demonstrated that students with preexisting mental health concerns showed improving or similar mental health during the pandemic (compared with one year prior). In contrast, students without preexisting mental health concerns were more likely to show declining mental health, which coincided with increased social isolation among these students. Our findings underscore that colleges and universities will not only need to continue to support students with preexisting mental health needs but also prioritize early prevention and intervention programming to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on students with increasing psychological distress, potentially stemming from increasing social isolation in response to the pandemic.

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Evidence suggests that post-secondary students without pre-existing mental health concerns may have experienced worsening mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to students with pre-existing mental health concerns. To clarify the psychological impacts of the pandemic, and elucidate why differences may exist among students, 20 interviews were conducted with emerging adults enrolled in university. Using directed content analysis, eight themes were identified: three more common among students with pre-existing mental health concerns, three more common among students without pre-existing mental health concerns, and two shared. Although all students experienced novel stressors during the pandemic, students without pre-existing mental health concerns reported greater increases in social and academic isolation, relative to students with pre-existing mental health concerns. Students with pre-existing mental health concerns also leveraged existing coping repertoires, which further supported their ability to manage pandemic-related challenges. Findings highlight how postsecondary institutions can bolster student well-being.

Theoretical perspectives on non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; direct and deliberate self-injury without lethal intent such as self-cutting or hitting) have long underscored the affective regulating properties of NSSI. Less attention has been given to the processes through which individuals choose to engage in NSSI, specifically, to regulate their distress. In the present study, we tested one theoretical model in which recent stressful experiences facilitates NSSI through emotional reactivity. Further, we tested whether the indirect link between stressful experiences and NSSI was moderated by several NSSI specific risk factors (e.g., having friends who engage in NSSI). Given the widespread prevalence of NSSI among community-based samples of adolescents and emerging adults, we surveyed 1,125 emerging adults in first-year university at a large academic institution (72% female, Mage = 17.96, 25% with a recent history of NSSI at Time 1). Participants completed an online survey three times (assessments were 4 months apart), reporting on their recent stressful experiences in university, emotional reactivity, NSSI, as well as three NSSI specific risk factors (i.e., close friend engagement in NSSI, high self-disgust, and low fear of pain). As expected, path analysis revealed that there was a significant indirect effect of recent stressful experiences on NSSI engagement, through emotional reactivity. However, this effect was maintained across moderator analyses. These novel findings underscore the salient role of proximally occurring stressors in the prediction of NSSI among emerging adults in university, and can inform developing theoretical perspectives on NSSI.