COVID‐19 School Closures: Disruptions in School‐Based Support Services and Socioemotional Loss Among Middle School Students

Abstract

BACKGROUNDIn the United States (U.S.), 77% of school district leaders reported that their students had fallen behind in their social‐emotional development due to COVID‐19 school closures. Although research has measured indicators of social‐emotional well‐being from the perspective of other informants, little is known about student perceptions of perceived changes in their socioemotional competencies and, to a lesser degree, their nonacademic needs.AIMSThe current study examined middle school students' nonacademic needs, perceptions of socioemotional competencies, and predictors of “socioemotional loss.”MATERIALS & METHODSThe authors utilized secondary data from 395 middle school students gathered in August 2020 and November 2020 in one large middle school in the southern region of the U.S. Multivariate and linear regression analyses explored students' nonacademic needs, assessed changes in perceptions of their socioemotional competencies over time, and identified predictors of “socioemotional loss” during the “return to learn” period.RESULTSOur findings indicated that 3% to 14% of students reported nonacademic needs, with the greatest needs related to food, housing, and healthcare. Further, 48% of students reported perceived losses in their socioemotional competencies, and students formerly receiving school‐based support services were those most affected (71% vs. 46%, p = .01). Among the subgroup reporting losses, living in a single‐parent household significantly predicted socioemotional loss (β = −.16, p = .02).DISCUSSIONSchool‐based practitioners, including educators, policymakers, social workers, and mental health providers, can utilize these findings to deliver interventions to students that experienced hardships during the pandemic.CONCLUSIONResponding to these risks will be critical as schools adapt and intervene in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic.