As the world experiences unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, ~15 million collegiate students, who are among our nation?s healthiest individuals, are facing multiple immediate and long-term consequences to their mental and physical health, academic careers and post-graduate prospects. These students had been in the middle of an important developmental and educational phase of their lives when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Their developmental trajectories are now being impacted in unprecedented ways, which has both individual and national importance. However, college students are in the unique position of being ?embedded? within the institutional structures of their colleges and universities. With adequate data and knowledge, these institutions can positively impact how students navigate stressors and influence whether they show resilience and thrive or develop complicating substance and mental conditions. Using individual academic emails, our partnering academic institutions whose student bodies collectively constitute ~60% of all US undergraduate students, will invite students to join this study. Using an online survey we will obtain consent and collect baseline information on: demographics, personal/family COVID-19 infections and outcomes, access to COVID-19 information, effect of the pandemic on housing, food security, finances, social relationships, effectiveness of distance learning, stress related to changes in daily life activities, sources of support, and pre- pandemic/current employment and SU/MH status. We will report these findings in the aggregate and by institution to allow for rapid revision of institutional responses. This will lay the groundwork for a definitive longitudinal study of the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on these young lives. Study findings are not only certain to inform academic responses to student needs now, but also identify ways that service providers and academic institutions can better respond to these needs over time.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic ~15 million of our nation?s healthiest individuals, namely college undergraduate students, have been unwittingly positioned, due to institutional shut-downs, to experience immediate and long-lasting consequences to their health, mental health, academic and post-graduate careers. In geographically, institutionally and ethnically diverse U.S. colleges and universities, our national ?COVID-19 Higher Ed Student Impact Study? will establish a cohort and conduct an online survey focused on personal/family COVID-19 experiences, access to COVID-19 information, effect of the pandemic on housing, food security, finances, social relationships, effectiveness of distance learning, stress, changes in daily life, sources of support, pre-pandemic/current employment, substance use and mental health status. Beyond laying the groundwork for a definitive longitudinal study of the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study?s baseline findings are intended to inform academic institutions regarding the general status of students, as well as identify ways that service providers and academic institutions can better respond to the needs of returning students.
