Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer adult mental health, and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) are associated with better adult mental health. This study aims to test whether ACEs and BCEs predict adult mental health above and beyond current stress and social support during the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyzed data from undergraduate and graduate students (N = 502) at an urban private university in the Western United States. An online survey was conducted to assess ACEs and BCEs, current stress and social support, depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, and loneliness in May 2020. Higher levels of ACEs were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, β = 0.45, p = 0.002. Higher levels of BCEs were associated with lower depressive symptoms, β = −0.39, p = 0.03; lower perceived stress, β = −0.26, p = 0.002; and less loneliness, β = −0.12, p = 0.04. These associations held while controlling for current stress, social support, and socioeconomic status. Childhood experiences are associated with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. BCEs should be considered an important promotive factor, independent of ACEs, for psychological well-being during a global public health crisis. BCEs should be included along with ACEs in future research, assessment, and screening with distressed and vulnerable populations.

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Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences Predict Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of students and exacerbated the prevalence of anxiety among them. The purpose of the literature review was to consolidate evidence for the prevalence of anxiety among students of higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic and to underscore the effect of various pandemic-related factors on this anxiety.A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing various databases such as MEDLINE, PsycInfo Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Embase to identify relevant studies. To be incorporated in this review, studies had to include students of higher education, measure the prevalence of anxiety, and assess anxiety during Covid-19 pandemic.37 studies met the inclusion criteria and assessed the prevalence of anxiety among students during confinement. Studies showed that more than one-third of the students suffered from anxiety during the early stages of the pandemic. Moreover, being a female, living in rural areas, facing financial hardship, working full-time, spending the quarantine in isolation, worrying about infection for themselves and others, having the uncertainty of the future, having reduced sleep quality, and transitioning to online learning, were factors associated with increased anxiety during the pandemic.Anxiety was shown to be highly prevalent among the student population during the Covid-19 pandemic. Higher education institutions and governments should take action to ensure the safety and the physical, social, and mental wellbeing of the students. 

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12144-021-02587-6.pdf

Effect of COVID-19 outbreak on anxiety among students of higher education; A review of literature

Stress and depression in undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Nursing students compared to undergraduate students in non-nursing majors

The worldwide spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 affected all major sectors, including higher education. The measures to contain the spread of this deadly disease led to the closure of colleges and universities across the globe, disrupting the lives of millions of students and subjecting them to a new world of online learning. These sudden disturbances coupled with the demands of a new learning system and the experiences of living through a pandemic have placed additional strains on the mental health of university students. Research on university students’ mental health, conducted during the pandemic, have found high levels of stress, anxiety and depression among students. In this qualitative study, we aimed to understand how pandemic experiences have affected student well-being by conducting in-depth interviews with 34 undergraduate students enrolled in a UK university. All interviews were conducted through Microsoft Teams and recorded with prior permission. Transcripts of recorded interviews were thematically analysed which identified two broad themes: (i) University students’ mental health and well-being experiences during the pandemic; (ii) factors that influenced students’ mental health and well-being. These factors were further distributed across six sub-themes: (a) isolation; (b) health and well-being; (c) bereavement; (d) academic concerns; (e) financial worries and; (f) support, coping, and resilience. Our study identifies the importance of mental health support to university students during pandemics and calls for measures to improve access to support services through these crisis points by universities. Findings can also inform students’ mental health and risk assessments in the aftermath of the pandemic.

/pdf/university-students-mental-health-and-well-being-during-the-2igzzfv6.pdf

University Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the UniCoVac Qualitative Study

There is a potential for a long-lasting psychological and social impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C19-ASS) has been developed, which measures individuals' coping mechanisms in relation to the fear or threat of COVID-19. The C19-ASS was developed and has been used so far only in Western samples. Further psychometric evaluation is needed in ethnically diverse samples. Therefore, the current study sought to test the psychometric properties in a large sample of Iranians (n = 1429; female = 52.1%; Mean age = 35.83, ±12.89) who completed a cross-sectional survey. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Persian C19-ASS has a two-factor structure corresponding to the perseveration and avoidance subscales of the original scale. Confirmatory factor analyses also supported a two-factor solution, which showed a firm model fit and high internal consistencies. Furthermore, it showed excellent divergent validity from generalized anxiety, indicating that it is concerned explicitly with COVID-19, supported by correlational analyses and exploratory factor analysis. Test of incremental validity indicated the Persian C19-ASS explained more variance in functional impairment and COVID-19 anxiety than the gender, marital and educational status, generalized anxiety, neuroticism, openness, consciousness and having lost someone close due to COVID-19. Also, based on a mediation test, it was found that C19-ASS mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (except openness and consciousness) and health anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression and COVID-19 anxiety. Overall, the current findings provide further evidence for the construct of the COVID-19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID-19 anxiety syndrome is discussed in light of the S-REF model that provides an explanatory framework for this pandemic-related construct.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/cpp.2686

The Persian COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS): Psychometric properties in a general community sample of Iranians.

COVID-19 dimensions are related to depression and anxiety among US college students: Findings from the Healthy Minds Survey 2020.

Abuse and suicide risk among college students in the United States: Findings from the 2019 Healthy Minds Study.

BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the way of life in the United States, which may be linked to self-injurious behaviors.


METHODS
We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Fall 2020 Cohort of the Healthy Minds Survey, a non-probability sample of students enrolled at one of 28 universities across the United States. Participants completed an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic (September-December, 2020).


RESULTS
Nearly a quarter of the sample (n = 6999) reported engaging in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), 12.41% (n = 3819) reported suicidal ideation, 4.98% (n = 1531) reported making a suicide plan, and 1.09% (n = 334) reported a suicide attempt over the past 12 months. When accounting for all COVID-19 factors in the same model, COVID-19 related concern, COVID-19 related discrimination, financial distress, and infection were significantly associated with NSSI, suicidal ideation, and suicide plan; caregiving was significantly associated with lower odds of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury. None of the factors were associated with suicide attempt.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed that various COVID-19 factors were related to SIB. Interventions may consider multiple dimensions of COVID-19 and their specific impacts.

Caitlin Marinovich

Papers

COVID-19 dimensions are related to depression and anxiety among US college students: Findings from the Healthy Minds Survey 2020.

Abuse and suicide risk among college students in the United States: Findings from the 2019 Healthy Minds Study.

COVID-19 factors and self-injurious behaviors among US college students: findings from the healthy minds study 2020.