Measuring COVID-19-Related Stress Among 4th Through 12th Grade Students

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders created a need for assessing elementary, middle, and high school students' experienced stressors associated with the coronavirus situation. In collaboration with a school district wanting information about their students' well-being during the pandemic school shut-down, the current study investigated students' reported types and levels of COVID-19 stressors. Data were collected from 2,738 students from fourth through 12th grade in a suburban Midwestern school district in the United States following school closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were gathered from students via an online survey using Qualtrics. The students rated 20 items (e.g., not motivated to do schoolwork, not going to my school) on stress level. Stressor categories found included Social Isolation, Schoolwork Stress, Fear of COVID-19 Illness, and Missing Events. Middle and high school students reported higher schoolwork stress than did elementary students, and overall, females had higher reported stress on several stressors. The current study has implications for school psychologists including utilizing a tool to assess pandemic-related stressors, using prepandemic normative data in schools with caution, promoting education about COVID-19 to reduce fear, supporting teachers regarding addressing schoolwork stress experienced by students, and teaching students anxiety-reducing strategies such as mindfulness or coping strategies.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders led to the need to assess stressors experienced by elementary, middle, and high school students, with factors such as social isolation, schoolwork stress, fear of COVID-19 illness, and missing events identified as common stressors. Middle and high school students reported higher levels of schoolwork stress compared to elementary students, while females reported higher stress levels across various stressors. This study suggests implications for school psychologists, including using tools to assess pandemic-related stressors, educating about COVID-19 to reduce fear, and supporting teachers in addressing student stress.