4.6 Article

Experiences, impacts and mental health functioning during a COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown: Data from a diverse New York City sample of college students

Journal

PLOS ONE
Volume 16, Issue 4, Pages -

Publisher

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0249768

Keywords

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Funding

  1. New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports
  2. Erwin Schroedinger Fellowship by the Austrian Science Fund (ASF)

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In March 2020, New York City experienced a COVID-19 outbreak, leading to a 78-day mass confinement for all residents except essential workers. A study on minority-serving college students in NYC revealed significant disruptions in daily life during the lockdown, with heightened symptoms of depression and anxiety. While most reported positive experiences, those who lost a loved one to COVID-19 experienced more psychological distress.
In March 2020, New York City (NYC) experienced an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which resulted in a 78-day mass confinement of all residents other than essential workers. The aims of the current study were to (1) document the breadth of COVID-19 experiences and their impacts on college students of a minority-serving academic institution in NYC; (2) explore associations between patterns of COVID-19 experiences and psychosocial functioning during the prolonged lockdown, and (3) explore sex and racial/ethnic differences in COVID-19-related experiences and mental health correlates. A total of 909 ethnically and racially diverse students completed an online survey in May 2020. Findings highlight significant impediments to multiple areas of students' daily life during this period (i.e., home life, work life, social environment, and emotional and physical health) and a vast majority reported heightened symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety. These life disruptions were significantly related to poorer mental health. Moreover, those who reported the loss of a close friend or loved one from COVID-19 (17%) experienced significantly more psychological distress than counterparts with other types of infection-related histories. Nonetheless, the majority (96%) reported at least one positive experience since the pandemic began. Our findings add to a growing understanding of COVID-19 impacts on psychological health and contribute the important perspective of the North American epicenter of the pandemic during the time frame of this investigation. We discuss how the results may inform best practices to support students' well-being and serve as a benchmark for future studies of US student populations facing COVID-19 and its aftermath.

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