Abstract
Objective: To assess mental health in US undergraduates during COVID-19; to identify key pandemic-related stressors, perceived control, and coping and their associations with mental health. Participants: Data collected from a sample of undergraduates in April 2020 (N = 312) were compared to data collected in Spring 2017 (N = 362). Methods: Online measures of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms and perceived control and coping (both samples); pandemic-related stressors and perceived benefits (April 2020). Results: Depression and stress symptoms were higher in April 2020 than in 2017. Most students reported perceiving at least some pandemic-related benefits. Top-rated stressors involved missing seeing friends and school-related stressors. Perceived control and approach coping were lower during the pandemic but related to better mental health; avoidant coping was higher during the pandemic and related to poorer mental health. Conclusions: Findings can inform campuses regarding how to improve student mental health during COVID and beyond.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2686-2696 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of American College Health |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Keywords
- COVID
- college students
- coping
- mental health
- pandemic
- stress
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
