Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on College Student Mental Health and Wellness

Abstract

Objective To test the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic on the emotions, behavior, and wellness behaviors of first-year college students. Method A total of 675 first-year university students completed a full assessment of behavioral and emotional functioning at the beginning of the spring semester 2020. Of these, 576 completed the same assessment at the end of the spring semester, 600 completed at least 1 item from a COVID-related survey after the onset of COVID pandemic, and 485 completed nightly surveys of mood and wellness behaviors on a regular basis before and after the onset of the COVID crisis. Results Externalizing problems (mean = −0.19, 95% CI = −0.06 to 0.33, p = .004) and attention problems (mean = −0.60, 95% CI = −0.40 to 0.80, p < .001) increased after the onset of COVID, but not internalizing symptoms (mean = 0.18, 95% CI = −0.1 to 0.38, p = .06). Students who were enrolled in a campus wellness program were less affected by COVID in terms of internalizing symptoms (β = 0.40, SE = 0.21, p = .055) and attention problems (β = 0.59, SE = 0.21, p = .005) than those who were not in the wellness program. Nightly surveys of both mood (β = −0.10, SE = 0.03, p = .003) and daily wellness behaviors (β = −0.06, SE = 0.03, p = .036), but not stress (β = 0.02, SE = 0.03, p = .58), were negatively affected by the COVID crisis. The overall magnitude of these COVID-related changes were modest but persistent across the rest of the semester and different from patterns observed in a prior year. Conclusion COVID and associated educational/governmental mitigation strategies had a modest but persistent impact on mood and wellness behaviors of first-year university students. Colleges should prepare to address the continued mental health impacts of the pandemic.

Personality trait predictors of adjustment during the COVID pandemic among college students

“…This study was approved by the University of Vermont's IRB and all subjects provided written consent. Additional description of the sample can be found elsewhere [18].…”

Non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review

“…The last column describes the country or countries focus of the survey and/or the location of the participants. Category Subcategory Sample size Country and Reference Health and wellbeing indicators Mental Health and wellbeing Italy [158] , 59 countries [159] Bangladesh [160] , China [161] , [162] , USA [163] , [164] , [165] , Serbia [166] Canada [167] , China [168] , Ghana [169] , Jordan [170] , Italy [171] , Russia and Belarus [26] , USA [172] , [173] , [174] USA [175] Netherlands [176] Health Behaviors China [177] , Spain …”

“…It interesting to notice the variety of angles and aspects covered in the surveys on mental health. In fact, they consider loneliness [164] , [172] , [174] , domestic abuse [170] , psychological mindset [26] , [158] , [159] , [160] , [163] , [165] , [166] , [168] , [169] , as well as particular groups of the population studying the toll on frontline workers [161] , students [173] , [175] , parents and children [162] , [167] , [171] , [176] . Several common themes as well as some conflicting results emerged from this research.…”

The Acute and Persisting Impact of COVID-19 on Trajectories of Adolescent Depression: Sex Differences and Social Connectedness

“…A study in China documented increased symptoms of poor mental health, including depression, among a sample of 1,241 students from November 2019 and May 2020 (Zhang et al, 2020). Conversely, a longitudinal study of first-year university students in the U.S. observed modest improvements in internalizing symptoms but worsening mood over the course of their Spring 2020 semester (during which the pandemic began; Copeland et al, 2021). Lastly, one study of adolescents in Australia documented increases in both depression and anxiety and a decrease in life satisfaction from before to during COVID-19, which were more pronounced for those experiencing more COVID-19-related stress (Magson et al, 2020).…”