COVID-19 is something that has impacted us all. From our “normal” social routine to our daily lives, we are living in a world we never could have imagined eight months ago. I will not even begin to compare who has been “most impacted,” as all of us have been impacted in monumental ways. From missing graduations and weddings to losing loved ones; the COVID-19 “experience” has spared no one. From our physical health to our mental health, COVID-19 has proven to be a worthy opponent to the human spirit.

To showcase the “wild” experiences people have had with COVID-19 and their mental health, I want to focus on the mental health of our college-students. Through a series of posts, I want to share the experiences those who have felt the effects of the Coronavirus in a unique way. Join me, as I learn about the impact COVID-19 has had on our beloved college-students and how we can learn from their experiences.
P.S. I would like to thank my colleagues, friends, and classmates for their willingness to open up and share about their mental health during these trying times. While their stories are personal, their experiences are based in research that other college-aged students are experiencing across the world.
Resources
Anspaugh DJ, et al. (2011). Coping with and managing stress. In Wellness: Concepts and Applications, 8th ed., pp. 307–340. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Balasubramanian, A., Paleri, V., Bennett, R., & Paleri, V. (2020). Impact of COVID‐19 on the mental health of surgeons and coping strategies. Head & Neck. DOI: 10.1002/hed.26291
Brazeau, G. A., PhD., Frenzel, Jeanne E,PharmD., PhD., & Prescott, William A,Jr, PharmD. (2020). Facilitating wellbeing in a turbulent time. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 84(6), 688-691.
Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry research, 112934.
Gonzales, G., de Mola, E. L., Gavulic, K. A., McKay, T., & Purcell, C. (2020). Mental Health Needs Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health. DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.006
Kecojevic, A., Basch, C. H., Sullivan, M., & Davi, N. K. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on mental health of undergraduate students in New Jersey, cross-sectional study. PloS one, 15(9), e0239696. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0239696
Liu, J., Zhu, Q., Fan, W., Makamure, J., Zheng, C., & Wang, J. (2020). Online Mental Health Survey in a Medical College in China During the COVID-19 Outbreak. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 459. DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00459
Son, C., Hegde, S., Smith, A., Wang, X., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study. Journal of medical internet research, 22(9), e21279. DOI: 10.2196/21279
Ye, Z., Yang, X., Zeng, C., Wang, Y., Shen, Z., Li, X., & Lin, D. (2020). Resilience, Social Support, and Coping as Mediators between COVID‐19‐related Stressful Experiences and Acute Stress Disorder among College Students in China. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12211