Presentation Title
The Psychological Consequences of COVID- 19: What is the Experience for College Students?
Abstract
The coronavirus disease, also known as COVID- 19, undoubtedly changed the lives of many American citizens after its initial impact in the United States back in March 2020. A specific proportion of the U.S. population that is often overlooked regarding economic and emotional disparities is that of college students. COVID- 19 has brought about even more changes and issues on top of the preexisting ones that college students already must endure. The purpose of this study was to consider the many variables of college students living during a pandemic. Participants from a Midwestern university completed a series of online surveys measuring demographics and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regression models were used to assess the ability of psychological factors (affect, resilience) to predict symptoms of depression and anxiety after controlling for the influence of life transitions. For both the depression and anxiety models, the total amount of variance explained was 50%, p < .05. Findings showed that despite the experience of challenging life transitions, college students were protected by resilience and positive affect relative to their reported depression and anxiety scores. This study further highlights the importance of maintaining protective factors for managing depression and anxiety, especially when living during a pandemic.
College
College of Liberal Arts
Department
Psychology
Location
Winona, MN
Breakout Room
12
Start Date
4-14-2021 1:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2021 1:45 PM
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Included in
Clinical Psychology Commons, Community Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Psychology Commons
The Psychological Consequences of COVID- 19: What is the Experience for College Students?
Winona, MN
The coronavirus disease, also known as COVID- 19, undoubtedly changed the lives of many American citizens after its initial impact in the United States back in March 2020. A specific proportion of the U.S. population that is often overlooked regarding economic and emotional disparities is that of college students. COVID- 19 has brought about even more changes and issues on top of the preexisting ones that college students already must endure. The purpose of this study was to consider the many variables of college students living during a pandemic. Participants from a Midwestern university completed a series of online surveys measuring demographics and mental health. Hierarchical multiple regression models were used to assess the ability of psychological factors (affect, resilience) to predict symptoms of depression and anxiety after controlling for the influence of life transitions. For both the depression and anxiety models, the total amount of variance explained was 50%, p < .05. Findings showed that despite the experience of challenging life transitions, college students were protected by resilience and positive affect relative to their reported depression and anxiety scores. This study further highlights the importance of maintaining protective factors for managing depression and anxiety, especially when living during a pandemic.
