Self-reported COVID-19 infection and implications for mental health and food insecurity among American college students.

While the COVID-19 pandemic affected mental health and increased food insecurity across the general population, less is known about the virus's impact on college students. A fall 2020 survey of more than 100,000 students at 202 colleges and universities in 42 states reveals sociodemographic variation in self-reported infections, as well as associations between self-reported infection and food insecurity and mental health. We find that 7% of students self-reported a COVID-19 infection, with sizable differences by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parenting status, and student athlete status. Students who self-reported COVID-19 infections were more likely to experience food insecurity, anxiety, and depression. Implications for higher education institutions, policy makers, and students are discussed.

Centering Humanity: Addressing #RealCollege Needs During a Pandemic

Many people working in higher education are having trouble sleeping. Enrollment is down and retention is falling;budgets are in deep trouble. Even more concerning: our students are simply not okay. There is growing evidence of a mental and physical health crisis, and a crisis of basic-needs insecurity even deeper than what we faced before the pandemic. The evidence is clear: basic-needs insecurity was a problem before the pandemic, and it continues to be a problem during the pandemic. In fall 2019, our team at the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice surveyed nearly 167,000 students from almost 230 two-year and four-year institutions about their access to basic needs. Almost half (46%) were housing insecure in the previous year;39% of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days. These findings were consistent with evidence we had collected over 4 prior years;a time when "college life" was "normal" for students.