A mixed-methods investigation of COVID-19 pandemic-specific stress in college students

Abstract

Objective

To identify pandemic-specific stressors among college students and compare patterns of stressors in samples obtained during early and chronic phases of the pandemic.

Method

Different undergraduate student samples from a Southeastern university completed an online survey in Spring 2020 (early pandemic; N = 673) and Fall 2020 (chronic pandemic; N = 439). This repeated cross-sectional survey study used a mixed methods triangulation design to validate and expand on quantitative findings using qualitative data.

Results

Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed 13 pandemic stressor domains, with academics and lifestyle adjustment among the most stressful in both samples, and more stressful in the chronic pandemic sample. Non-freshmen, female, and first-generation college students were at greater risk for pandemic stress.

Conclusions

As college students continue to experience stressors related to COVID-19 and encounter future crises, colleges and universities must adapt to meet their unique needs specific to the context.

Keywords:

• College students
• COVID-19 pandemic
• mixed methods
• stress

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 East Carolina University.

Additional information

Funding

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