A Longitudinal Study of Student Mental Health during the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Publication Date
6-25-2023
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Title
ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings
Abstract
This research paper supports the LEAD strategic priority “Inform.” While COVID-19 continues to be a concern, many of the restrictions and precautions associated with the early outbreak have been relaxed. With academia and society slowly adjusting to this “new normal,” it is important to know whether and to what extent the mental health of engineering students has changed throughout the pandemic. This work explores that question by analyzing longitudinal data collected four times from 2019-2021. We analyze how the prevalence of different conditions changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Among other results, we found statistically significant increases in total depressive disorders between our initial sample (Fall 2019) and a sample taken immediately post-COVID (Spring 2020). While measured rates of depression decreased between Spring 2020 and Fall 2021, it was not statistically significant, potentially indicating that the student population is still recovering on this metric. Conversely, our data shows a statistically significant drop in moderate-to-major psychological distress between our Fall 2019 pre-pandemic sampling and our Fall 2021 post-pandemic sampling indicating, potentially indicating an improvement in overall mental health. Breaking the data down by gender, no significant changes were observed across any measure during the four sample periods for women respondents. Men, however, showed a significant increase in depressive disorders from Fall 2019 to Spring 2020. The biggest jump in depression, however, was observed among respondents whose parents' highest level of education was a Bachelor's degree.
Funding Number
1929478
Funding Sponsor
National Science Foundation
Department
General Engineering
Recommended Citation
Andrew Danowitz and Kacey Beddoes. "A Longitudinal Study of Student Mental Health during the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic" ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings (2023).
