ABSTRACT
Students' lives can be impacted by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study investigates the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic anxiety and the quality of life of Filipino college students and examines the mediating role of academic stress in this relationship. A total of 1,024 students enrolled in Philippine universities and colleges participated in this cross-sectional analytical study. Findings suggest that pandemic anxiety positively correlates with the quality of life (c=.399, p=0.002). When academic stress is added as a mediator, pandemic anxiety has a negative indirect effect on the quality of life (ab=-.410, p<.001), and maintains a positive direct effect on the quality of life (c'=.809, p<.001), yielding an inconsistent mediation model among the three variables. In short, the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety has a double-edged effect on the quality of life, with its negative effect explained through academic stress. Stakeholders in college education are suggested to employ interventions to address academic stress among students. © 2023, author.