Dixon LJ, Witcraft SM, Schadegg MJ. COVID-19 anxiety and mental health among university students during the early phases of the U.S. pandemic.
J Am Coll Health 2023;
71:1152-1160. [PMID:
34398707 DOI:
10.1080/07448481.2021.1923504]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the impact of COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic on university students in the U.S. by: (1) characterizing COVID-19-related disruptions; (2) evaluating health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OC), depression, and stress symptoms; and (3) analyzing the unique role of COVID-19 anxiety on mental health outcomes, after accounting for relevant variables.
PARTICIPANTS
Participants included 263 students (63.9% female).
METHODS
Data were collected online between March 19, 2020 and May 1, 2020.
RESULTS
Participants screened positive for health anxiety (6.5%), OC symptoms (48.7%), or depression (29.7%). COVID-19 anxiety was positively associated with mental health symptoms. After controlling for demographics and COVID-19 impact, COVID-19 anxiety accounted for significant variance in health anxiety, OC symptoms, and stress.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings demonstrate the vast impact of COVID-19 on mental health among university students and provide guidance for identifying mental health priorities in the context of public health crises.
Collapse