Abstract
Background: Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. Objective: This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales-the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7-for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. Results: Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. Conclusions: The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e22817 |
Pages (from-to) | e22817 |
Journal | Journal of medical Internet research |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 17 2020 |
Keywords
- COVID-19
- College student
- Coronavirus
- Depression
- Mental health
- Online survey
- Stress
- Student
- University
- Anxiety/epidemiology
- Pandemics
- Humans
- Mental Health/statistics & numerical data
- Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology
- Male
- Suicidal Ideation
- Universities
- Young Adult
- Depression/epidemiology
- Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology
- Stress, Psychological/epidemiology
- Betacoronavirus
- Adult
- Female
- Students/psychology
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Health Surveys
- Adolescent
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health Informatics