The impact of the COVID 19 epidemic on mental health of undergraduate students in New Jersey, cross sectional study
Objective The COVID 19 pandemic has been a period of upheaval for college students. The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with the increased levels of mental health burden among a sample of undergraduate college students in Northern New Jersey, the region of the U.S. severely impacted by the outbreak of COVID 19. Methods College students (N 162) enrolled in an introductory core curriculum course completed a cross sectional survey. The survey collected information on demographics, knowledge levels and sources of COVID 19 information, behavior changes, academic and everyday difficulties, and mental health measurements (depression, anxiety, somatization, and stress) Multivariable regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes. Results Descriptive findings indicate that students have a fundamental knowledge of COVID 19 transmission and common symptoms. Students tend to use and trust the official sources and have changed their behaviors in accordance with public health recommendations (i.e. increased hand washing, wearing mask) However, students reported a number of academic and everyday difficulties and high levels of mental health distress. High levels of depression were associated with difficulties in focusing on academic work and with employment losses, while higher levels of anxiety were more likely to be reported by students other than freshmen and those who spend more than one hour per day looking for information on COVID 19. Inability to focus on academic work and an elevated concern with COVID 19 were more likely to be associated with higher levels of somatization, while trusting news sources was associated with lower levels of somatization. Those with higher levels of perceived stress were more likely to be females, unable to focus on academic work, and report difficulties in obtaining medications and cleaning supplies. Conclusions The COVID 19 pandemic is making a significant negative impact on mental health of college students. Proactive efforts to support the mental health and well being of students are needed.
PloS one