COVID-19 anxiety and mental health among university students during the early phases of the U.S. pandemic

Abstract

Objective

This study examined the impact of COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic on university students in the U.S. by: (1) characterizing COVID-19-related disruptions; (2) evaluating health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OC), depression, and stress symptoms; and (3) analyzing the unique role of COVID-19 anxiety on mental health outcomes, after accounting for relevant variables.

Participants

Participants included 263 students (63.9% female).

Methods

Data were collected online between March 19, 2020 and May 1, 2020.

Results

Participants screened positive for health anxiety (6.5%), OC symptoms (48.7%), or depression (29.7%). COVID-19 anxiety was positively associated with mental health symptoms. After controlling for demographics and COVID-19 impact, COVID-19 anxiety accounted for significant variance in health anxiety, OC symptoms, and stress.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate the vast impact of COVID-19 on mental health among university students and provide guidance for identifying mental health priorities in the context of public health crises.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• depression
• health anxiety
• OCD
• pandemic
• psychological stress

Acknowledgments

The University of Mississippi College of Liberal Arts Research Grant for Faculty Research and Creative Achievement supported Laura J. Dixon’s work on this paper.

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United State of America and received approval from the University of Mississippi.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.