Abstract
Objective
We categorized levels of self-reported stress, anxiety, worry, and sleep among US college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
We conducted an anonymous online survey between May 7 and June 21, 2020.
Results
Nearly all participants reported worry about the pandemic. Nearly half (95% CI: 43.3–51.3) reported moderate-to-severe anxiety, and 42.0% (95% CI: 38.0–45.9) reported experiencing poor sleep quality. Those with moderate-to-severe anxiety were more likely (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: 2.4–4.7) to report poor sleep quality than those with less anxiety. Moderate or extreme worry about the pandemic was associated with poor sleep quality (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1–2.1).
Conclusions
Our survey found high levels of stress, worry, anxiety, and poor sleep among US college and university students during the early months of the pandemic. Universities should prioritize access to resources for healthy coping to help students manage anxiety and improve sleep quality as the pandemic continues.
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 [the United States] and received approval from the [Institutional Review Board of the University of Minnesota and McGill University].