34
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Mental health among U.S. College students: implications of COVID-19 and roles of institutional and individual characteristics

, MLA, , PhD, , PhD, , MLA, , PhD & , PhD
Received 09 Oct 2023, Accepted 14 Apr 2024, Published online: 07 Jun 2024

References

  • McManus S, Gunnell D. Trends in mental health, non-suicidal self-harm and suicide attempts in 16–24-year old students and non-students in England, 2000–2014. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2020;55(1):125–128. doi:10.1007/s00127-019-01797-5.
  • Duffy A. University student mental health: An important window of opportunity for prevention and early intervention. Can J Psychiatry. 2023;68(7):495–498. doi:10.1177/07067437231183747.
  • Liu CH, Stevens C, Wong SHM, Yasui M, Chen JA. The prevalence and predictors of mental health diagnoses and suicide among U.S. college students: Implications for addressing disparities in service use. Depress Anxiety. 2019;36(1):8–17. doi:10.1002/da.22830.
  • Sivertsen B, Hysing M, Knapstad M, et al. Suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-harm among university students: prevalence study. BJPsych Open. 2019;5(2):e26. doi:10.1192/bjo.2019.4.
  • American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Graduate and Professional Students Reference Group Data Report Spring 2019. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2019.
  • American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Undergaduate Student Reference Group Data Report Spring 2019. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2019.
  • Schreiner LA, Louis MC, Nelson DD. Thriving in Transitions: A Research-Based Approach to College Student Success. Columbia, SC: The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition; 2020.
  • Dyson R, Renk K. Freshmen adaptation to university life: depressive symptoms, stress, and coping. J Clin Psychol. 2006;62(10):1231–1244. doi:10.1002/jclp.20295.
  • Neale I, Piggott L, Hansom J, Fagence S. Student Resilience: unite Students Insight Report 2016. Bristol, UK: Unite Stud; 2016.
  • Eisenberg D, Golberstein E, Gollust SE. Help-seeking and access to mental health care in a university student population. Med Care. 2007;45(7):594–601. doi:10.1097/MLR.0b013e31803bb4c1.
  • Ding Y, Lee C, Chen X, et al. Exploring the association between campus environment of higher education and student health: a systematic review of findings and measures. Urban for Urban Green. 2024;91:128168. doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128168.
  • Conley CS, Durlak JA, Dickson DA. An evaluative review of outcome research on universal mental health promotion and prevention programs for higher education students. J Am Coll Health. 2013;61(5):286–301. doi:10.1080/07448481.2013.802237.
  • Bonell C, Parry W, Wells H, et al. The effects of the school environment on student health: a systematic review of multi-level studies. Health Place. 2013;21:180–191. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.12.001.
  • Daigle LE, Johnson LM, Azimi AM, Hancock KP. Does college matter? Exploring college-level factors related to victimization risk for US and Canadian college students. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2020;68(5):488–522. doi:10.1177/0306624X20981027.
  • Moylan CA, Javorka M, Bybee D, Stotzer RL, Carlson M. Campus-level variation in the prevalence of student experiences of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. J Soc Soc Work Res. 2019;10(3):397–421. doi:10.1086/704543.
  • Cradock AL, Melly SJ, Allen JG, Morris JS, Gortmaker SL. Characteristics of school campuses and physical activity among youth. Am J Prev Med. 2007;33(2):106–113. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2007.04.009.
  • Kumar R, O’Malley PM, Johnston LD. Association between physical environment of secondary schools and student problem behavior: a national study, 2000-2003. Environ Behav. 2008;40(4):455–486. doi:10.1177/0013916506293987.
  • Byrd DR, McKinney KJ. Individual, interpersonal, and institutional level factors associated with the mental health of college students. J Am Coll Health. 2012;60(3):185–193. doi:10.1080/07448481.2011.584334.
  • Oswalt SB, Lederer AM, Schrader LT. Institutional characteristics and the connection to college student health. Am J Health Behav. 2015;39(4):475–486. doi:10.5993/AJHB.39.4.4.
  • Berger JB, Milem JF. Organizational behavior in higher education and student outcomes. High Educ-N Y-AGATHON PRESS Inc. 2000;15:268–338.
  • Pascarella ET, Terenzini PT. How College Affects Students: Findings and Insights from Twenty Years of Research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 1991.
  • Pascarella ET, Terenzini PT. How College Affects Students: A Third Decade of Research. Volume 2. Indianapolis, IN: Jossey-Bass; 2005.
  • Terenzini P, Reason R. Parsing the first year of college: Rethinking the effects of college on students. In: Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, Philadelphia, PA.; 2005:630.
  • Tsouros AD, Dowding G, Thompson J, Dooris M. Health Promoting Universities: Concept, Experience and Framework for Action. Copenhagen, DK: World Health Organization. Regional Office for Europe; 1998.
  • Piracha A, Chaudhary M. Urban air pollution, urban heat island and human health: a review of the literature. Sustainability 2022;14(15):9234. doi:10.3390/su14159234.
  • Robinson E, Sutin AR, Daly M, Jones A. A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies comparing mental health before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. J Affect Disord. 2022;296:567–576. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.09.098.
  • Ernst M, Niederer D, Werner AM, et al. Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Am Psychol. 2022;77(5):660–677. doi:10.1037/amp0001005.
  • Elharake JA, Akbar F, Malik AA, Gilliam W, Omer SB. Mental health impact of COVID-19 among children and college students: a systematic review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2023;54(3):913–925. doi:10.1007/s10578-021-01297-1.
  • American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Reference Group Data Report Spring 2019. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2019.
  • American College Health Association. College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III:Reference Group Data Report Fall 2021. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2022.
  • Charles NE, Strong SJ, Burns LC, Bullerjahn MR, Serafine KM. Increased mood disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and alcohol use among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res. 2021;296:113706. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113706.
  • Copeland WE, McGinnis E, Bai Y, et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health and wellness. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2021;60(1):134–141.e2. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.466.
  • Son C, Hegde S, Smith A, Wang X, Sasangohar F. Effects of COVID-19 on college students’ mental health in the United States: interview survey study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(9):e21279. doi:10.2196/21279.
  • Fruehwirth JC, Biswas S, Perreira KM. The Covid-19 pandemic and mental health of first-year college students: examining the effect of Covid-19 stressors using longitudinal data. PLoS One. 2021;16(3):e0247999. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0247999.
  • Wilson OW, Holland KE, Elliott LD, Duffey M, Bopp M. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US college students’ physical activity and mental health. J Phys Act Health. 2021;18(3):272–278. doi:10.1123/jpah.2020-0325.
  • Huckins JF, DaSilva AW, Wang W, et al. Mental health and behavior of college students during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: longitudinal smartphone and ecological momentary assessment study. J Med Internet Res. 2020;22(6):e20185. doi:10.2196/20185.
  • Wasil AR, Franzen RE, Gillespie S, Steinberg JS, Malhotra T, DeRubeis RJ. Commonly reported problems and coping strategies during the COVID-19 crisis: a survey of graduate and professional students. Front Psychol. 2021;12:598557. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.598557.
  • Song Y, Lee C, Tao Z, et al. COVID-19 and campus users: a longitudinal and place-based study of university mobilities in Texas. Sustain Cities Soc. 2023;96:104656. doi:10.1016/j.scs.2023.104656.
  • American College Health Association. ACHA-NCHA Web Version Frequently Asked Questions. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2024. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/ACHA-NCHA-WEB_FAQ_FINAL_FEB_2024.pdf.
  • American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Reliability and Validity Analyses 2011. Hanover, MD: American College Health Association; 2013.
  • Harrer M, Adam SH, Baumeister H, et al. Internet interventions for mental health in university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res. 2019;28(2):e1759.
  • Hughes JW, Vander Horst A, Gibson GC, et al. Psychological distress of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Coll Health. 2023;71(4): 981–983. doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1920953.
  • Kessler RC, Andrews G, Colpe LJ, et al. Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychol Med. 2002;32(6):959–976. doi:10.1017/s0033291702006074.
  • Diener E, Wirtz D, Tov W, et al. New well-being measures: short scales to assess flourishing and positive and negative feelings. Soc Indic Res. 2010;97(2):143–156. doi:10.1007/s11205-009-9493-y.
  • American College Health Association. American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III: Undergraduate Student Reference Group Data Report Spring 2020. Silver Spring, MD: American College Health Association; 2020.
  • Cavanaugh J, Neath A. The akaike information criterion: background, derivation, properties, application, interpretation, and refinements. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Comput Stat. 2019;11(3):e1460. doi:10.1002/wics.1460.
  • Olvera Astivia O, Gadermann A, Guhn M. The relationship between statistical power and predictor distribution in multilevel logistic regression: a simulation-based approach. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2019;19(1):97. doi:10.1186/s12874-019-0742-8.
  • Bagiella E, Sloan RP, Heitjan DF. Mixed-effects models in psychophysiology. Psychophysiology 2000;37(1):13–20. doi:10.1111/1469-8986.3710013.
  • Landis JR, Koch GG. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics 1977;33(1):159. doi:10.2307/2529310.
  • Ozili PK. The acceptable R-square in empirical modelling for social science research: In: Saliya CA, ed. Social Research Methodology and Publishing Results: A Guide to Non-Native English Speakers. Hershey, PA: IGI Global; 2023:134–143. doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-6859-3.ch009.
  • Bressoux P. Using multilevel models is not just a matter of statistical adjustment. Illustrations in the educational field. L’Année Psychol. 2020;Vol. 120(1):5–38. doi:10.3917/anpsy1.201.0005.
  • Liu Y, Frazier PA, Porta CM, Lust K. Mental health of US undergraduate and graduate students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: differences across sociodemographic groups. Psychiatry Res. 2022;309:114428. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114428.
  • Blum R, McNeely C, Rinehart P. Improving the odds: The untapped power of schools to improve the health of teens. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Centre for Adolescent Health and Development; 2002.
  • Jorgenson DA, Farrell LC, Fudge JL, Pritchard A. College connectedness: the student perspective. JoSoTL. 2018;18(1):75–95. doi:10.14434/josotl.v18i1.22371.
  • Ebi KL, Vanos J, Baldwin JW, et al. Extreme weather and climate change: population health and health system implications. Annu Rev Public Health. 2021;42(1):293–315. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-012420-105026.
  • Levesque EM. Improving community college completion rates by addressing structural and motivational barriers. Brook Inst. 2018. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/community-college-completion-rates-structural-and-motivational-barriers/?b=1.
  • Gruebner O, Rapp MA, Adli M, Kluge U, Galea S, Heinz A. Cities and mental health. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2017;114(8):121–127. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2017.0121.
  • Fuller BG, Stewart Williams JA, Byles JE. Active living—the perception of older people with chronic conditions. Chronic Illn. 2010;6(4):294–305. doi:10.1177/1742395310377673.
  • Smith C, Snell P. Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 2009.
  • Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. Int Sch Res Not. 2012;2012:1–33. doi:10.5402/2012/278730.
  • Pargament KI, Falb MD, Ano GG, Wachholtz AB. The religious dimension of coping: advances in theory, research, and practice. Handbook of the Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. New York, NY: The Guilford Press;2013:560–579. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-26878-028.
  • Vázquez FL, Otero P, Díaz O. Psychological distress and related factors in female college students. J Am Coll Health. 2012;60(3):219–225. doi:10.1080/07448481.2011.587485.
  • Rimes KA, Goodship N, Ussher G, Baker D, West E. Non-binary and binary transgender youth: comparison of mental health, self-harm, suicidality, substance use and victimization experiences. Int J Transgend. 2019;20(2-3):230–240. doi:10.1080/15532739.2017.1370627.
  • Hyun JK, Quinn BC, Madon T, Lustig S. Graduate student mental health: needs assessment and utilization of counseling services. J Coll Student Develop. 2006;47(3):247–266. doi:10.1353/csd.2006.0030.
  • Stubb J, Pyhältö K, Lonka K. Balancing between inspiration and exhaustion: PhD students’ experienced socio-psychological well-being. Stud Contin Educ. 2011;33(1):33–50. doi:10.1080/0158037X.2010.515572.
  • Hudd SS, Dumlao J, Erdmann-Sager D, et al. Stress at college: effects on health habits, health status and self-esteem. Coll Stud J. 2000;34(2):217–227. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A131318268/AONE?u=anon∼fb54b526&sid=googleScholar&xid=ba36a1fe.
  • Robotham D, Julian C. Stress and the higher education student: a critical review of the literature. J Furth High Educ. 2006;30(2):107–117. doi:10.1080/03098770600617513.
  • Britton BK, Tesser A. Effects of time-management practices on college grades. J Educ Psychol. 1991;83(3):405–410. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.83.3.405.
  • Peltzer K, Pengpid S, Samuels T, et al. Prevalence of overweight/obesity and its associated factors among university students from 22 countries. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014;11(7):7425–7441. doi:10.3390/ijerph110707425.
  • Pengpid S, Peltzer K. Prevalence of overweight and underweight and its associated factors among male and female university students in Thailand. Homo. 2015;66(2):176–186. doi:10.1016/j.jchb.2014.11.002.
  • Szkody E, Stearns M, Stanhope L, Mckinney C. Stress-buffering role of social support during COVID-19. Fam Process. 2021;60(3):1002–1015. doi:10.1111/famp.12618.
  • Aucejo EM, French J, Araya MPU, Zafar B. The impact of COVID-19 on student experiences and expectations: evidence from a survey. J Public Econ. 2020;191:104271. doi:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104271.
  • Rice SM, Fallon BJ, Aucote HM, Möller-Leimkühler A, Treeby MS, Amminger GP. Longitudinal sex differences of externalising and internalising depression symptom trajectories: Implications for assessment of depression in men from an online study. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2015;61(3):236–240. doi:10.1177/0020764014540149.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.