Objective:The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic represents an acute worldwide public health crisis causing an immediate disruption to every demographic group. One group significantly affected both educationally and psychosocially is college students, as they experienced an abrupt cancellation of in-person courses, were forced to leave their dormitories, and witnessed a loss of social activities. Method: This study utilizes survey data from college students in the throes of COVID-19-based home schooling collected for a Belgium-based international study including more than 134,000 participants from 28 countries around the world. Two hundred fifty-seven college students from a U.S. university participated in this study. Results: Results indicate that college students are affected by COVID-19 on several levels, including fear of themselves or others in their social network contracting the virus, apprehension about the changes in coursework delivery and unclear instructional parameters, overall loneliness, compromised motivation, and sleep disturbances, as well as anxious and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Analyses reveal a positive relationship between academic frustrations and mental health symptoms, the latter also negatively related to trust in the government regarding the preventive measures being implemented. Worries about becoming infected were positively related to mental health symptoms and negatively related to trust in the government. Results and implications are discussed.
Clinical Impact StatementWe believe this study directly affects clinical practice, because it provides tangible data on experiences of college students from an American university following the COVID-19 -related disruption. From these data, we were able to empirically identify specific areas of concern for college students that can be addressed during their counseling sessions (e.g., fear of themselves or others contracting the virus, motivational struggles, anxiety with remote learning, and their reactions to how the crisis is being handled at the national level). The information received also gave clues to preventive measures, emphasizing the importance of consistency and clarity on the way the crisis is being handled by the authorities and its effect on the emotional reactions of the public.