College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Margaret McLafferty; Caoimhe Ward; Colum P Walsh; Siobhan O'Neill; Tony Bjourson; Rachel McHugh; Natasha Brown; Louise McBride; John Brady; EK Murray

doi:10.3390/educsci13111154

College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Margaret McLafferty
, Caoimhe Ward
, Colum P Walsh
, Siobhan O'Neill
, Tony Bjourson
, Rachel McHugh
, Natasha Brown
, Louise McBride
, John Brady
, EK Murray

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

121 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Student mental health was a growing concern globally prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the psychological wellbeing of college students. Baseline data were collected pre-pandemic in September 2019 among students attending a university in Northern Ireland and an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys were also conducted with this cohort during the pandemic, at the start of the academic years 2020 and 2021 (499 students fully completed all three waves). A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of their third year, in summer 2022 (n = 229). High levels of mental health problems were already present among students commencing college. The subsequent pandemic had a very negative impact on student’s academic experience and other aspects of life. Rates of depression (PHQ-9) increased significantly from the onset of the pandemic and remained high. Anxiety (GAD-7) initially decreased but then escalated at the end of college. The study highlights the importance of early intervention and makes recommendations for addressing the needs of students during times of stress. Additional supports may be required to deal with the long-lasting impact of the pandemic.

Original language	English
Article number	1154
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Education Sciences
Volume	13
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111154
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 18 Nov 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials In Ireland Network (CHITIN). CHITIN has received €10.6m (or million) funding from the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) with match funding from the Departments of Health in NI and ROI. The views and opinions expressed in this research paper do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.

Funding

Funding Information: This work was supported by Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials In Ireland Network (CHITIN). CHITIN has received €10.6m (or million) funding from the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) with match funding from the Departments of Health in NI and ROI. The views and opinions expressed in this research paper do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education

Keywords

college students
mental health
depression
anxiety
pandemic
COVID-19 restrictions

Access to Document

10.3390/educsci13111154Licence: CC BY

education-13-01154Final published version, 1.38 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{44aeea050014491fa57f1cede89bcae0,

title = "College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic",

abstract = "Student mental health was a growing concern globally prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the psychological wellbeing of college students. Baseline data were collected pre-pandemic in September 2019 among students attending a university in Northern Ireland and an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys were also conducted with this cohort during the pandemic, at the start of the academic years 2020 and 2021 (499 students fully completed all three waves). A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of their third year, in summer 2022 (n = 229). High levels of mental health problems were already present among students commencing college. The subsequent pandemic had a very negative impact on student{\textquoteright}s academic experience and other aspects of life. Rates of depression (PHQ-9) increased significantly from the onset of the pandemic and remained high. Anxiety (GAD-7) initially decreased but then escalated at the end of college. The study highlights the importance of early intervention and makes recommendations for addressing the needs of students during times of stress. Additional supports may be required to deal with the long-lasting impact of the pandemic.",

keywords = "college students, mental health, depression, anxiety, pandemic, COVID-19 restrictions",

author = "Margaret McLafferty and Caoimhe Ward and Walsh, \{Colum P\} and Siobhan O'Neill and Tony Bjourson and Rachel McHugh and Natasha Brown and Louise McBride and John Brady and EK Murray",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials In Ireland Network (CHITIN). CHITIN has received €10.6m (or million) funding from the European Union{\textquoteright}s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) with match funding from the Departments of Health in NI and ROI. The views and opinions expressed in this research paper do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = nov,

day = "18",

doi = "10.3390/educsci13111154",

language = "English",

volume = "13",

pages = "1--12",

journal = "Education Sciences ",

issn = "2227-7102",

publisher = "MDPI AG",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

AU - McLafferty, Margaret

AU - Ward, Caoimhe

AU - Walsh, Colum P

AU - O'Neill, Siobhan

AU - Bjourson, Tony

AU - McHugh, Rachel

AU - Brown, Natasha

AU - McBride, Louise

AU - Brady, John

AU - Murray, EK

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by Cross-border Healthcare Intervention Trials In Ireland Network (CHITIN). CHITIN has received €10.6m (or million) funding from the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) with match funding from the Departments of Health in NI and ROI. The views and opinions expressed in this research paper do not necessarily reflect those of the European Commission or the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/11/18

Y1 - 2023/11/18

N2 - Student mental health was a growing concern globally prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the psychological wellbeing of college students. Baseline data were collected pre-pandemic in September 2019 among students attending a university in Northern Ireland and an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys were also conducted with this cohort during the pandemic, at the start of the academic years 2020 and 2021 (499 students fully completed all three waves). A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of their third year, in summer 2022 (n = 229). High levels of mental health problems were already present among students commencing college. The subsequent pandemic had a very negative impact on student’s academic experience and other aspects of life. Rates of depression (PHQ-9) increased significantly from the onset of the pandemic and remained high. Anxiety (GAD-7) initially decreased but then escalated at the end of college. The study highlights the importance of early intervention and makes recommendations for addressing the needs of students during times of stress. Additional supports may be required to deal with the long-lasting impact of the pandemic.

AB - Student mental health was a growing concern globally prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the psychological wellbeing of college students. Baseline data were collected pre-pandemic in September 2019 among students attending a university in Northern Ireland and an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys were also conducted with this cohort during the pandemic, at the start of the academic years 2020 and 2021 (499 students fully completed all three waves). A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of their third year, in summer 2022 (n = 229). High levels of mental health problems were already present among students commencing college. The subsequent pandemic had a very negative impact on student’s academic experience and other aspects of life. Rates of depression (PHQ-9) increased significantly from the onset of the pandemic and remained high. Anxiety (GAD-7) initially decreased but then escalated at the end of college. The study highlights the importance of early intervention and makes recommendations for addressing the needs of students during times of stress. Additional supports may be required to deal with the long-lasting impact of the pandemic.

KW - college students

KW - mental health

KW - depression

KW - anxiety

KW - pandemic

KW - COVID-19 restrictions

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85178278367

U2 - 10.3390/educsci13111154

DO - 10.3390/educsci13111154

M3 - Article

SN - 2227-7102

VL - 13

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Education Sciences

JF - Education Sciences

IS - 11

M1 - 1154

ER -

College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Investigating demographic, psychosocial and epigenetic risk factors for depression in young adults

Cite this

College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Student theses

Investigating demographic, psychosocial and epigenetic risk factors for depression in young adults

Cite this