Negative COVID-19 impacts and depressive symptoms over time among first-year college students

A longitudinal descriptive assessment of US college COVID-19 dashboards

BACKGROUND

The purposes of this study were to (1) longitudinally examine US college and university COVID-19 dashboard content and (2) explore county-level population health and COVID-19 community indicators where colleges with large undergraduate enrollments were located.

METHODS

We identified 10 colleges with the largest undergraduate enrollments. Next, we located all public and private two- and four-year nonprofit colleges (n = 58) in each respective county. We assessed active COVID-19 dashboards using established criteria from We Rate COVID Dashboards in March 2021 and February 2022.

RESULTS

In 2021 and 2022, two-thirds (n = 38/58) of colleges had an active COVID-19 dashboard. While most COVID-19 dashboards were easy to read, they were less likely to include updated daily infection rates and testing frequency details.

CONCLUSION

Overall quality, content, and features of COVID-19 dashboards varied greatly across colleges. Future COVID-19 dashboard designs should focus on providing evidence-based information with the goal of promoting and supporting informed decision making.

The COVID-19 pandemic and adolescents' and young adults' experiences at school: A systematic narrative review

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of adolescents and young adults across the globe. In response to the pandemic onset, educational institutions were forced to pivot to online learning, a new teaching and learning format for most secondary and university students. This systematic narrative review summarizes findings from 168 publications spanning 56 countries on students' educational outcomes and school climate as well as the internal assets and contextual supports that promoted academic well-being during the pandemic. Our findings suggest that young people commonly reported declines in their academic-related outcomes and school-based relationships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal assets (e.g., intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy) and contextual supports (i.e., relationships with teachers, peers, and parents) promoted academic well-being during the pandemic. Next steps for research on young people's academic well-being during the pandemic are suggested.

Resilience resources, coping, and health outcomes in college students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Background: Resilience resources are predispositions that promote individuals' abilities to cope with stress. Objective: The current cross-sectional study used path analysis with parallel multiple mediators to test whether coping behaviors mediated associations between resilience resources and somatic, depression, and anxiety symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic. Method: Undergraduates at a small Northeastern college (n = 193) completed online surveys assessing resilience resources, coping, and symptoms. Results: Results support significant indirect effects from resilience resources to somatic symptoms through positive reinterpretation and growth, mental disengagement, and substance use. Total indirect effects for depressive symptoms were driven by mental disengagement and substance use, with a direct effect of resilience resources. The effect of resilience resources on anxiety symptoms was mediated by mental disengagement, and there was a direct effect of resilience resources. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that some coping strategies link resilience resources to better outcomes, potentially informing interventions for adaptive coping during public health crises.

College and COVID-19: The Pandemic's reverberations on adolescents and emerging adults on campus

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply disrupted all aspects of life for young people in college. Beginning early in the pandemic, research has documented how young people experienced these challenges and the impacts on their psychosocial wellbeing and development. This review highlights patterns in identified challenges, mental health, and associated risk and protective factors. Overall, the pandemic led to rises in negative affect and emotional struggles, though the review of the literature also raises critical areas for supporting these young people. Additionally, the review suggests providing resources that focus on valuable elements of young people's experiences on college campuses; namely social support and connection, belonging, and effective psychosocial coping strategies.