The Impact of COVID-19 on College Students' Mental Health

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc in every aspect of human life including college students' physical and meatal health condition. The aim of this study was to assess the fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and stress among Shenandoah Valley college students, part of the Great Appalachian. An online survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate level college students in a large US public university, and a total of 680 students completed it. The mean age was 22.14 ± 5.48 years. The majority were White (81.9%), and female (80.4%) undergraduate (78.0%) students. Approximately 41% of them were enrolled in health-related majors (41.4%). Female students had significantly higher anxiety, depression, and fear of contracting COVID-19 than male students. Undergraduate students had significantly higher depression than graduate students. Students' perceptions of university' support had a negative relationship with their anxiety, depression and fear of COVID-19. While the COVID-19 pandemic is almost over, the higher education system and policymakers should work together to identify areas to improve student support and better communication strategies.