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Testing positive, losing a loved one, and financial hardship: Real-world impacts of COVID-19 on US college student distress.
ElTohamy, Abdelrahman; Hyun, Sunah; Macaranas, Anjeli R; Chen, Justin A; Stevens, Courtney; Liu, Cindy H.
  • ElTohamy A; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • Hyun S; Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
  • Macaranas AR; Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
  • Chen JA; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
  • Stevens C; Department of Psychology, Willamette University, Salem, OR 97301, USA.
  • Liu CH; Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pediatric Newborn Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: chliu@bwh.harvard.edu.
J Affect Disord ; 314: 357-364, 2022 10 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1956185
ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a particularly heavy toll on U.S. college students. In addition to facing academic-related stress and social pressures, these individuals are now increasingly susceptible to experiences such as contracting the virus, losing loved ones to COVID-19, or facing financial hardship due to the pandemic. The effects of such personal, pandemic-related experiences on young adult mental health - and the inherent racial disparities within these outcomes - remain largely understudied.

METHODS:

We analyzed 65,568 undergraduate students from the Spring 2021 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA).

RESULTS:

The rates of the aforementioned COVID-19-related stressors were unevenly distributed across racial groups. A logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of moderate and serious psychological distress revealed that participants who had experienced the death of a loved one had 1.14 times greater odds of developing psychological distress (p < 0.0001). Those who experienced financial hardship had an odds ratio of 1.78 (p < 0.0001). Surprisingly, testing positive for COVID-19 was associated with an odds ratio of 0.82 of psychological distress (p < 0.0001).

LIMITATIONS:

Self-reported measures are susceptible to recall bias and misinterpretation. Exposure and outcome variables were measured simultaneously in this cross-sectional study which limits inference on causality.

CONCLUSIONS:

Financial burdens and bereavement are especially impactful stressors among college students during the pandemic, whereas contracting COVID-19 seemingly exhibits less impact on distress levels. When addressing student wellbeing, institutions should consider prioritizing the implementation of resources to support individuals affected by pandemic-related financial and familial losses.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Humans / Young adult Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Affect Disord Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.jad.2022.07.022

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research / Randomized controlled trials Limits: Adult / Humans / Young adult Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Affect Disord Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: J.jad.2022.07.022