The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health of first-year college students: Examining the effect of Covid-19 stressors using longitudinal data

Summary

Purpose The Covid-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented stress to students and educational institutions across the world. We aimed to estimate the effect of the pandemic on the mental health of college students. Methods We used data on 419 first-year students (ages 18–20) at a large public university in North Carolina both before (October 2019-February 2020) and after (June/July 2020) the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. After evaluating descriptive data on mental health and stressors by students’ demographic characteristics, we estimated the associations between Covid-19 stressors (including work reductions, health, distanced learning difficulties and social isolation) and mental health symptoms and severity controlling for students’ pre-pandemic mental health, psychosocial resources, and demographic characteristics. Results We found that the prevalence of moderate-severe anxiety increased from 18.1% before the pandemic to 25.3% within four months after the pandemic began; and the prevalence of moderate-severe depression increased from 21.5% to 31.7%. White, female and sexual/gender minority (SGM) students were at highest risk of increases in anxiety symptoms. Non-Hispanic (NH) Black, female, and SGM students were at highest risk of increases in depression symptoms. General difficulties associated with distanced learning and social isolation contributed to the increases in both depression and anxiety symptoms. However, work reductions as well as Covid-19 diagnosis and hospitalization of oneself, family members or friends were not associated with increases in depression or anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Colleges may be able to reduce the mental health consequences of Covid-19 by investing in resources to reduce difficulties with distance learning and reduce social isolation during the pandemic.

Related articles

• Framework of Maternal and Child Health Nursing

  This document outlines the framework of maternal and child health nursing, detailing the roles and goals of nurses in providing care during the childbearing and childrearing periods. It discusses the importance of family-centered care and the integration of evidence-based practices in nursing.

• Framework of Maternal and Child Nursing

  This document provides a comprehensive overview of maternal and child health nursing, discussing the continuum of care for mothers and children and the roles of nurses, midwives, and obstetricians in promoting family health during pregnancy and child-rearing.

• Staphylococcus epidermidis: Isolation and Characterization of α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase-Inhibiting

  Staphylococcus epidermidis: Isolation and Characterization of α-Amylase and α-Glucosidase-Inhibiting Novel Candidate from Fermented Batter for Diabetes Mellitus Subhashini R*., Rithik S., Barani Kumar SK., ., Roshitha R

• Treatment Planning for Single-Tooth Restorations and Replacement of Missing Teeth

  This document provides a comprehensive overview of treatment planning for dental restorations, detailing various types of crowns, restorative materials, and their applications in clinical scenarios. It emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate treatments based on patient needs and esthetic considerations.

• The use of fresh nerve allograft can potentially allow funct

  The use of fresh nerve allograft can potentially allow functional recovery equivalent to autograft; however, it requires systemic immunosuppression. Tacrolimus (Prograf) inhibits activation of T-cell proliferation and is