Superstorm Sandy and the academic achievement of university students

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on College Student Mental Health and Wellness

OBJECTIVE

To test the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic on the emotions, behavior, and wellness behaviors of first-year college students.

METHOD

A total of 675 first-year university students completed a full assessment of behavioral and emotional functioning at the beginning of the spring semester 2020. Of these, 576 completed the same assessment at the end of the spring semester, 600 completed at least 1 item from a COVID-related survey after the onset of COVID pandemic, and 485 completed nightly surveys of mood and wellness behaviors on a regular basis before and after the onset of the COVID crisis.

RESULTS

Externalizing problems (mean = -0.19, 95% CI = -0.06 to 0.33, p = .004) and attention problems (mean = -0.60, 95% CI = -0.40 to 0.80, p < .001) increased after the onset of COVID, but not internalizing symptoms (mean = 0.18, 95% CI = -0.1 to 0.38, p = .06). Students who were enrolled in a campus wellness program were less affected by COVID in terms of internalizing symptoms (β = 0.40, SE = 0.21, p = .055) and attention problems (β = 0.59, SE = 0.21, p = .005) than those who were not in the wellness program. Nightly surveys of both mood (β = -0.10, SE = 0.03, p = .003) and daily wellness behaviors (β = -0.06, SE = 0.03, p = .036), but not stress (β = 0.02, SE = 0.03, p = .58), were negatively affected by the COVID crisis. The overall magnitude of these COVID-related changes were modest but persistent across the rest of the semester and different from patterns observed in a prior year.

CONCLUSION

COVID and associated educational/governmental mitigation strategies had a modest but persistent impact on mood and wellness behaviors of first-year university students. Colleges should prepare to address the continued mental health impacts of the pandemic.

The Impact of Hurricane Maria on Student Pharmacists and Their Perception of Their Academic Performance

Objective. To assess the self-reported impact of hurricane Maria on the perceived academic performance of student pharmacists at Nova Southeastern University's (NSU) Puerto Rico Regional Campus. Methods. A 37-item electronic instrument, the Hurricane Impact Survey, was created and sent by email to all student pharmacists ≥21 years old enrolled at NSU-COP Puerto Rico Campus during the fall 2017 semester. The electronic survey was available through Redcap platform for four weeks. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and logistic regression were used to analyze students' responses. Qualitative analysis was used to identify emerging themes in the open-ended comments. Results. A total of 150 student pharmacists completed the survey for a response rate of 69% (150/215). More than 70% of student pharmacists perceived that their academic performance was affected after the hurricane. About one third of students reported not being able to function mentally at the same level as they had prior to the storm (n=53, 35%) and reported having difficulty sleeping (n=54, 36%). Female student pharmacists were more likely than male student pharmacists to report not being able to function at the same level mentally as they had before the hurricane (41% vs 17%). In the multivariate analysis, first- and second-year student pharmacists were more likely to perceive a negative impact on their academic performance compared to third- and fourth-year student pharmacists. Lack of preparedness, gratefulness, and campus management were the themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis. Conclusion. Hurricane Maria had a significant impact on the lives of student pharmacists in Puerto Rico. This led to a perception of diminished academic performance, especially among first- and second-year students. The results can be used to guide preparedness and response to natural disasters in academic settings.