New Study by Psychology Professors and Students Examines Impact of COVID-19 on College Students

Three faculty members in the Psychology Department, Drs. Jazmin Reyes-Portillo, Carrie Masia, and Michael Bixter, along with three students in the clinical psychology PhD program, Emily Kline, Avi Kalver, and Danielle Rette, have published with their colleagues a new study in Emerging Adulthood. Their article is entitled The Psychological, Academic, and Economic Impact of COVID-19 on College Students in the Epicenter of the Pandemic.

The study abstract is included below.

Initial research has indicated that college students have experienced numerous stressors as a result of the pandemic. The current investigation enrolled the largest and most diverse sample of college students to date (N = 4714) from universities in New York (NY) and New Jersey (NJ), the epicenter of the North American pandemic in Spring 2020. We described the impact on the psychological, academic, and financial health of college students who were initially most affected and examined racial/ethnic group differences. Results indicated that students’ mental health was severely affected and that students of color were disproportionately affected by academic, financial, and COVID-related stressors. Worry about COVID-19 infection, stressful living conditions, lower grades, and loneliness emerged as correlates of deteriorating mental health. COVID-19’s mental health impact on college students is alarming and highlights the need for public health interventions at the university level.