New study shows that university students experienced increased psychological distress during COVID-19, but utilized fewer support services

PhD in Public Health candidate Elaine Russell and her mentor Kenneth Griffin, professor in the department of Global and Community Health, in George Mason University’s College of Public Health, worked with Tolulope Abidogun, also a PhD in Public Health student, and former Global and Community Health professor Lisa Lindley, now of Lehigh University, to analyze data from the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment (ACHA-NCHA III) in an effort to understand how university students’ mental health needs changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“More U.S. college students suffered from mental health concerns during the pandemic, but fewer received necessary mental health treatment,” says Russell.

This study is the first to use a national dataset to examine changes in university students’ psychological well-being and their utilization of mental health services from pre-COVID-19 to peak pandemic. Russell and the research team found that, consistent with prior research related to diverse populations, racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual minority groups were at a greater risk of suffering from poor mental health during the pandemic. Additional findings revealed that during the pandemic, students of color, especially female students of color, were less likely to receive mental health services.

“When developing innovative approaches to improving mental health outcomes on college campuses, it is important to be culturally sensitive and understand the diverse needs of the specific student population,” says Russell.

The study used data from before the COVID-19 pandemic (Fall 2019 and early Spring 2020) and during the pandemic (Spring 2021) to examine mental health symptoms and utilization of mental health services among university students. The sample was limited to full-time undergraduate students aged 18-24 attending four-year universities in the United States. In addition to analyzing the entire sample of university students, the team examined demographic subgroups based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Several validated psychological testing scales were used in the study to indicate students’ self-reported levels of psychological distress, loneliness, overall stress, psychological well-being, and resilience. Additional survey questions asked about COVID-19 specific stressors, including the students’ concern over themselves or their loved ones getting COVID-19 and being unable to spend time with the people they care about due to the pandemic lockdowns. Students’ use of mental health services within the 12 months preceding the survey was also assessed.

“These findings are important to better understand sub-groups who disproportionally suffer from severe psychological distress but may not be accessing the necessary care,” the study reports. While issues such as a lack of access to mental health services and discrimination within the healthcare system are undoubtedly factors in students’ reluctance to seek mental health care, the stigma surrounding mental health is also prohibitive.

“Improvements in mental health resources must also address stigma and empower students to access necessary care,” Russell says, specifying the use of peer health educators and making efforts to normalize mental health treatment may be effective prevention strategies.

Russell concludes by calling for future research to increase understanding of the barriers to mental health service use among high-risk university students.

“Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students’ psychological distress, well-being, and utilization of mental health services in the United States: Populations at greatest risk” will be published online in Frontiers in Public Health October 30, 2024.

The authors are: Elaine Cooper Russell, George Mason University; Tolulope M. Abidogun, George Mason University; Lisa L. Lindley, Lehigh University; Kenneth W. Griffin, George Mason University.

About College of Public Health at George Mason University

The College of Public Health at George Mason University is the first College of Public Health in Virginia and a national leader in inclusive, interprofessional, public health research, education, and practice. The College is comprised of public health disciplines, health administration and policy, informatics, nursing, nutrition, and social work. The College offers a distinct array of degrees to support research and training of professionals dedicated to ensuring health and well-being for all. The College’s transdisciplinary research seeks to understand the many factors that influence the public’s health and well-being throughout the lifespan. Areas of focus include prevention and treatment of infectious and chronic diseases, inequalities and marginalized communities, environmental health and climate change, nutrition, violence, mental and behavioral health, informatics, and health technologies. With more than 500 partners, the College serves the community through research, practice, and clinical care with a focus on the social determinants of health and health equity.

The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in our nationally-recognized programs, including 5 undergraduate degrees, 7 master’s degrees, and 4 doctoral degrees, and 10 certificate programs. Our graduates are uniquely prepared to thrive in an increasingly multicultural, multidisciplinary, community-focused public health landscape.