Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022;46(1):1-10.
doi: 10.1007/s10608-021-10241-5. Epub 2021 Jun 19.

College Mental Health Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Nationwide Survey

Hanjoo Kim  1 , Gavin N Rackoff  2 , Ellen E Fitzsimmons-Craft  3 , Ki Eun Shin  4 , Nur Hani Zainal  2 , Jeremy T Schwob  2 , Daniel Eisenberg  5 , Denise E Wilfley  3 , C Barr Taylor  6   7 , Michelle G Newman  2
Affiliations

College Mental Health Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From a Nationwide Survey

Hanjoo Kim et al. Cognit Ther Res. 2022.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic could affect college students' mental health. We examined screening rates for psychological disorders before and during the pandemic.

Methods: Undergraduates were surveyed before (n = 3643) or during the pandemic (n = 4970). Logistic regression adjusting for participant demographics was conducted.

Results: Frequencies of depression [OR 1.32, 95% CI (1.17, 1.48)], alcohol use disorder [OR 1.70, 95% CI (1.50, 1.93)], bulimia nervosa/binge-eating disorder [OR 1.54, 95% CI (1.28, 1.85)], and comorbidity [OR 1.19, 95% CI (1.04, 1.35)] were greater during (vs. before) the pandemic. Frequencies of posttraumatic stress disorder were lower during the pandemic [OR 0.86, 95% CI (0.75, 0.98)]. The upward trend in alcohol use disorder was stronger among women than men [OR 1.47, 95% CI (1.18, 1.83)]. The upward trend in depression was stronger among Black students than White students [OR 1.72, 95% CI (1.19, 2.49)]. Anxiety disorders, insomnia, anorexia nervosa, and suicidality showed no significant trends.

Conclusions: Depression, alcohol use disorder, bulimia nervosa/binge-eating disorder, and comorbidity were higher, whereas posttraumatic stress disorder was lower during the pandemic. Women and Black students could face especially heightened risk for alcohol use disorder and depression, respectively, during the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; College students; Pandemic; Psychological disorders.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestHanjoo Kim, Gavin N. Rackoff, Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft, Ki Eun Shin, Nur Hani Zainal, Jeremy T. Schwob, Daniel Eisenberg, Denise E. Wilfley, C Barr Taylor, Michelle G. Newman declare that they have no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Abedi V, Olulana O, Avula V, Chaudhary D, Khan A, Shahjouei S, Li J, Zand R. Racial, economic, and health inequality and COVID-19 infection in the United States. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2020 doi: 10.1007/s40615-020-00833-4. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Adhanom Ghebreyesus T. Addressing mental health needs: An integral part of COVID-19 response. World Psychiatry. 2020;19:129–130. doi: 10.1002/wps.20768. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) 5. American Psychiatric Association; 2013.
    1. American Psychological Association. (2020). Stress in the Time of COVID-19. Stress in America™ Survey. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report
    1. Andrews G, Henderson S, Hall W. Prevalence, comorbidity, disability and service utilisation. Overview of the Australian national mental health survey. British Journal of Psychiatry. 2001;178:145–153. doi: 10.1192/bjp.178.2.145. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources