Psychosocial Adjustment of U.S. College Students During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

Psychosocial Adjustment of U.S. College Students During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

The Problem of the Study and its Rationale

The problem addressed in this study is the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated disruptions on the mental well-being of college students. The study was conducted with the primary aim of examining the psychosocial adjustment of college and university students in the United States during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and May 2020. The purpose of conducting this study stemmed from various factors, such as the vulnerability of college students, the availability of potential stressors, the existence of a gap in research, and potential implications (Okado et al., 2021).

For instance, prior research has shown that college students are vulnerable to an increased prevalence of mental health issues, a situation that can be worsened by the increased psychosocial distress caused by the pandemic. Secondly, the potential stressors caused by the abrupt and unexpected transition to requirements, along with other changes in the norms of daily living, may cause exacerbation of mental issues among college students. The third factor is the limited research focusing on college students to elucidate the unique challenges they face due to COVID-19. Lastly, the study was done to identify the implications of specific stressors, which will guide the development of interventions tailored to the needs of college students (Okado et al., 2021).

Combatively, this study aims to provide insights into the psychological experiences of college students during the early stages of the pandemic. It had the ultimate goal of informing policies and interventions aimed at supporting mental health and adjusting to unprecedented outcomes (Okado et al., 2021).

The Sampling Method

To recruit the participants for this study, the researcher combined methods to reach a diverse pool of college students and university students across different institutions of higher learning. Beginning with the online posting on bulletin boards, where the researcher posts announcements about the study on the online bulletin boards such as university-specific forums, social-media groups, and other online platforms where students gather. Secondly, the researcher used snowball sampling to recruit some members who later referred other participants until an adequate sample size was reached. Thirdly, some participants learned about the study through informal communications, such as conversations with friends regarding the study and efforts to recruit participants. Lastly, the researcher utilized the psychology department, where the students enrolled in psychology courses were willing to participate in the research studies for incentives or academic credits (Okado et al., 2021).

Data Collection and Analysis

Data in this study was collected and analyzed using integrated methods of data collection and analysis in research. For instance, the study began with descriptive analyses to examine the variables. This is evident through the use of calculations to summarize data using means, standard deviations, frequencies, and other statistics. Qualitative data coding was also done to code the main challenges into codes that can be used for further analysis. Chi-square was used to examine the association between challenges and demographic variables and determine whether existing differences in challenges were experienced based on demographic factors. Personal correlations were also used to determine the association between perceived levels of worry and scores. Further, a one-sample t-test was done to compare present samples against norms. To ensure the reliability of the results, the outliers were removed. Other methods used were inclusive of multivariate analysis of variance, regression analysis, and correlation analysis (Data Gathering and Analysis, 2024).

The Study Findings

The study discovered that social isolation, job loss or diminution, and adjusting to new standards were the most frequent psychosocial stresses resulting from the pandemic. Also, social obligation was a challenge contributing to psychosocial stressors. The study established that there were worries about various domains, such as access to necessities, physical health, and employment. Also, the academic concerns were identified to have no relation to the psychological symptoms. Lastly, the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (2023) revealed that one-third of the participants lacked adequate social support.

 References

Okado, Y., Scaramella, C., Nguyen, H. M., Mendoza, B., & Watarastaporn, T. (2021). Psychosocial adjustment of U.S. college students in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of American College Health, 71(4), 1281–1292. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1926268

Data gathering and analysis. (2024, March 30). Office of Human Resources. https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/competencies/competencies-dictionary/data-gathering-and-analysis

Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (2023, November 22). Findings from 2022/23 user research. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/findings-from-202223-user-research

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Article: Psychosocial adjustment of U.S. college students in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic

Psychosocial Adjustment of U.S. College Students During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic