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. 2021 Sep 1:292:270-275.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.121. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

COVID-19 dimensions are related to depression and anxiety among US college students: Findings from the Healthy Minds Survey 2020

Hans Oh  1 , Caitlin Marinovich  2 , Ravi Rajkumar  3 , Megan Besecker  2 , Sasha Zhou  4 , Louis Jacob  5 , Ai Koyanagi  6 , Lee Smith  7
Affiliations

COVID-19 dimensions are related to depression and anxiety among US college students: Findings from the Healthy Minds Survey 2020

Hans Oh et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about tremendous social and economic turmoil, which has been associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Healthy Minds Study (Fall Semester Cohort 2020), a non-probability sample of students across multiple colleges who completed an online survey between September - December 2020. Using multivariable logistic regression, we examined the associations between COVID-19 dimensions (concern, racial/ethnic discrimination, financial distress, infection, illness of loved one, death of loved one, caregiving) and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety), adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and international student status.

Results: Nearly a fifth of the sample reported moderately severe or severe depression, and nearly a third reported moderately severe or severe anxiety over the past two weeks. When accounting for all COVID-19 dimensions in the same model, COVID-19 concern, racial/ethnic discrimination, financial distress, and infection were significantly associated with moderately severe or severe depression; COVID-19 concern, financial distress, and infection were significantly associated with moderately severe or severe anxiety.

Conclusions: This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic may have shaped mental health through a range of potential social and environmental dimensions. Interventions are required that consider multiple dimensions of COVID-19 to improve mental health during and after the pandemic.

Keywords: Anxiety; Coronavirus; Covid-19; Depression; Pandemic.

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Conflict of interest statement

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