Summarizing
Wang et al. (2020) study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stress and depression levels among US college students. The researchers found a positive correlation between the spread of the pandemic and the level of stress and depression among students. Almost half of the respondents (48.14%) showed moderate or severe depression, more than a third (38.48%) had mild or severe anxiety, and 18.04% had suicidal thoughts. The majority of participants (71.26%) noted that their stress/anxiety levels increased precisely because of the pandemic. Among the causes of increased stress, Wang et al. (2020) highlighted changes in learning, health, and lifestyle. Changes in learning are characterized by financial problems, difficulty concentrating, due to academic performance, and adapting to distance learning (Wang et al., 2020). Concerning health problems, Wang et al. (2020) noted changes in eating and sleeping habits, and lifestyle problems associated with physical distancing, changes in social attitudes, and misinformation from news outlets and social media.
According to Wang et al. (2020), less than half of the respondents (43.25%) indicated that they are able to adequately cope with the stress associated with the current situation. Notably, there are gender differences in this study. Wang et al. (2020) note that women tend to have higher levels of stress and depression. Thus, this study actualizes the importance of providing support to vulnerable students in managing their mental health. Wang et al. (2020) highlight coping mechanisms such as support from family and friends, mobile technology, participation in healthy lifestyle activities, relaxation activities, creative activities, and spiritual and religious activities.
Research Method
The basis of the study was an online survey conducted among Texas A&M University undergraduate and graduate students through the Qualtrics online survey platform. Sections such as demographics, health, generalized anxiety disorder screening, as well as questions related to COVID-19 stress and coping mechanisms and barriers were included in the survey. The survey was designed in a semi-structured format and consisted of two standardized scales, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7, as well as additional multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.
The Independent and Dependent Variables
The dependent variable is mental health, namely the level of stress and depression, of US college students, and the independent variable is the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bias and Variables that Could Have Altered the Results
The study did not indicate the sources of its funding. The researchers themselves note the likelihood of bias in the presented results, which is associated with the independent choice of the respondents. For example, in the study, the majority of respondents were women, which may influence the conclusion that women have higher levels of stress or depression. Moreover, such a variable as the presence of psychological problems in respondents that were diagnosed before the pandemic was not taken into account, which could affect the results of the study.
Research Validity
The fact that the presence of existing mental disorders diagnosed before the pandemic was not taken into account in the survey affects the reliability of the study. Moreover, Wang et al. (2020) mentioned that 31 respondents noted that they had previously been diagnosed with mental illness, but this fact was not taken into account in the study. However, given the research method, it can be concluded that it is reliable. When conducting Internet surveys, there is a significantly lower level of influence of the researcher on the respondent. Accordingly, socially desirable response options are less common in respondents’ answers than in a live conversation with an interviewer. In addition, it is noted that when answering open-ended questions by e-mail, people give more detailed and detailed answers than in traditional questionnaires. Thus, research on the Internet makes it possible to obtain sufficiently complete and meaningful information when conducting qualitative research.
Reflection and Personal Experience
Stress is an integral part of student life, which is associated with financial difficulties, as well as housing and tuition problems. The situation has worsened due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The intensification of negative emotional experiences is directly related to the introduction of quarantine measures and the restriction of freedom of movement, as well as the inability to plan one’s life even for the short term. Unfamiliarity and misunderstanding of what is happening, frequent news about new COVID-19 infections, and uncertainty hurt the mental health of the students, including me and my comrades. Moreover, the pandemic has become a sudden test of the readiness of the education system to use digital teaching methods, many institutions were forced to switch to a new remote work format, which was an additional stress factor for all participants in the educational process.
All subjects of educational organizations were sent to distance learning, contact interaction was interrupted. The absence of classroom lessons and personal interactions between teachers and students, communication via telephone and the Internet, and distance learning required an increase in the level of self-organization, discipline, and responsibility. Under these conditions, the growth of mental stress among students increases, which contributes to the development of stress and depression. After reading the article by Wang et al. (2020) my opinion regarding the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of students has not changed.
Reference
Wang, X., Hegde, S., Son, C., Keller, B., Smith, A., & Sasangohar, F. (2020). Investigating mental health of US college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(9), e22817.