TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wang, Xiaomei
AU  - Hegde, Sudeep
AU  - Son, Changwon
AU  - Keller, Bruce
AU  - Smith, Alec
AU  - Sasangohar, Farzan
PY  - 2020
DA  - 2020/9/17
TI  - Investigating Mental Health of US College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Survey Study
JO  - J Med Internet Res
SP  - e22817
VL  - 22
IS  - 9
KW  - mental health
KW  - online survey
KW  - COVID-19
KW  - coronavirus
KW  - college student
KW  - student
KW  - stress
KW  - depression
KW  - university
AB  - Background: Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has generally increased levels of stress and depression among the public. However, the impact on college students in the United States has not been well-documented. Objective: This paper surveys the mental health status and severity of depression and anxiety of college students in a large university system in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate students recruited from Texas A&M University via email. The survey consisted of two standardized scales—the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the General Anxiety Disorder-7—for depression and anxiety, and additional multiple-choice and open-ended questions regarding stressors and coping mechanisms specific to COVID-19. Results: Among the 2031 participants, 48.14% (n=960) showed a moderate-to-severe level of depression, 38.48% (n=775) showed a moderate-to-severe level of anxiety, and 18.04% (n=366) had suicidal thoughts. A majority of participants (n=1443, 71.26%) indicated that their stress/anxiety levels had increased during the pandemic. Less than half of the participants (n=882, 43.25%) indicated that they were able to cope adequately with the stress related to the current situation. Conclusions: The proportion of respondents showing depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts is alarming. Respondents reported academic-, health-, and lifestyle-related concerns caused by the pandemic. Given the unexpected length and severity of the outbreak, these concerns need to be further understood and addressed. 
SN  - 1438-8871
UR  - http://www.jmir.org/2020/9/e22817/
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/22817
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32897868
DO  - 10.2196/22817
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/22817
ER  -