College students' distress and coping during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.College students experienced declining distress and COVID-19 stress throughout the pandemic, though distress decreased less linearly. Predictors included demographics and pandemic proximity, informing higher education support strategies.
Area Of Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the mental health of college students globally.
- Understanding the trajectory of psychological distress and coping mechanisms is crucial for student well-being.
- Longitudinal data on student mental health during the pandemic is essential for developing effective support systems.
Purpose Of The Study
- To examine the trends in psychological distress and coping strategies among college students from 2020 to 2024.
- To identify predictors of psychological distress and coping strategy utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To inform higher education institutions on student recovery from pandemic-related distress.
Main Methods
- A repeated cross-sectional design was employed with 710 college students from a California university.
- Participants completed validated measures of psychological distress, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and coping strategies.
- Data collection spanned from the initial phase through the later stages of the pandemic (2020-2024).
Main Results
- Both psychological distress and COVID-19 related stress decreased over the study period.
- The decline in distress was less linear compared to the decline in COVID-19 stress.
- Key predictors of distress included gender, minority status, prior therapy, higher COVID stress, and proximity to the first pandemic year.
- Predictors of coping use involved gender, racial-ethnic identity, and exposure to coping strategies.
Conclusions
- The study provides insights into the evolving mental health landscape for college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Identifying distress predictors aids in targeted interventions for vulnerable student populations.
- Understanding coping strategy use can guide the development of tailored support services in higher education settings.
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