Changes in Internalizing Symptoms and Anxiety Sensitivity Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The early months of the COVID-19 pandemic saw significant increases in symptoms of anxiety and depression, particularly among college students. However, research has not examined how internalizing symptoms in this population have changed as the pandemic has continued into its second year. Further, there has yet to be an examination of potential changes in transdiagnostic vulnerability factors. Therefore, the purpose of the current repeated cross-sectional study was to examine differences by term in undergraduates’ symptoms of depression, anxiety, worry, social anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity in the Spring 2020 ( n = 251), Fall 2020 ( n = 427), and Spring 2021 ( n = 256) semesters. Results indicated that there were significant increases in depression, anxiety, worry, and anxiety sensitivity from Spring 2020 to Fall 2020 that were maintained through the Spring 2021 semester, and levels of social anxiety were significantly higher in Spring 2021 compared to Spring 2020. These findings suggest that the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on college students have continued beyond the initial months, and colleges and universities will need to develop comprehensive plans to adequately address college students’ mental health needs.

The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

“…In other words, social anxiety symptoms appeared to be exacerbated as restrictions eased for those who were socially anxious in the first place. Another study by McLeish et al [66] found that college students had increased social interaction anxiety when returning to a higher frequency of social encounters after a period of social isolation. In this study, data relating to social interaction anxiety were collected from college students across three time points after the onset of the pandemic.…”

Multiple group memberships protect against anticipatory anxiety for social situations

“…One the one hand, reduced exposure to social situations may have assuaged their anxiety symptoms in the short term. Yet, because avoidance maintains social anxiety (e.g., Clark & Wells, 1995; Rapee & Heimberg, 1997), such reduced exposure may ultimately lead to an exacerbation of people's social anxiety symptoms over time and upon re‐entering social situations, consistent with emerging research (e.g., McLeish et al, 2022). In fact, a recent study found that undergraduates during the COVID‐19 pandemic maintained elevated social anxiety scores (Arad et al, 2021), which constrasts with pre‐pandemic findings, when social anxiety tended to decline across the academic year.…”

“…Indeed, it is possible that the widespread experience of anticipatory anxiety may not only have caused short term distress, but also sustained people's social fears and increased their likelihood of prolonged avoidance. Emerging evidence is consistent with this reasoning, with multiple studies reporting increased social anxiety symptoms across the COVID‐19 pandemic (e.g., Arad, Shamai‐Leshem, & Bar‐Haim, 2021; McLeish, Walker, & Hart, 2022; Thompson et al, 2021; cf. Langhammer, Peters, Ertle, Hilbert, & Leuken, 2022).…”

Addressing mental health, misinformation, & religious tensions among South Asian students across California higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative research study

“…There was a high prevalence of social anxiety throughout the pandemic [ 60 ]. After completing their courses through Zoom, students had to relearn interactions with others, with the added stresses of social distancing guidelines.…”