Sara E Grineski1, Danielle X Morales2, Timothy W Collins3, Shawna Nadybal3, Shaylynn Trego3. 1. Department of Sociology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. 2. Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas, USA. 3. Department of Geography, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine mental health of undergraduate researchers (UGRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: We surveyed 962 UGRs who were conducting research in Spring 2020 at over 100 US universities. METHODS: We conducted an online survey in July 2020. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and multivariable generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: 63% reported at least mild anxiety and 73% reported at least mild depression based on GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores; 15.2% reported severe anxiety (score ≥ 15) and 23.4% reported severe depression (score ≥ 15). More COVID-19-related adverse event experiences were associated with more severe anxiety and depression, as were first-generation status, woman gender, and LGBQ status. Greater social support was protective, and significantly more so for men (vs. women) and continuing generation (vs. first generation) students. CONCLUSION: Faculty have an important role in the mental health of their mentees. Additional interventions are needed to better support women and first-generation students. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at.
OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine mental health of undergraduate researchers (UGRs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. PARTICIPANTS: We surveyed 962 UGRs who were conducting research in Spring 2020 at over 100 US universities. METHODS: We conducted an online survey in July 2020. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and multivariable generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: 63% reported at least mild anxiety and 73% reported at least mild depression based on GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores; 15.2% reported severe anxiety (score ≥ 15) and 23.4% reported severe depression (score ≥ 15). More COVID-19-related adverse event experiences were associated with more severe anxiety and depression, as were first-generation status, woman gender, and LGBQ status. Greater social support was protective, and significantly more so for men (vs. women) and continuing generation (vs. first generation) students. CONCLUSION: Faculty have an important role in the mental health of their mentees. Additional interventions are needed to better support women and first-generation students. Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at.
Entities:
Keywords:
COVID-19; College student mental health; social support; undergraduate research experiences (UREs); undergraduate researchers (UGRs)
Authors: Sara E Grineski; Danielle X Morales; Timothy W Collins; Shawna Nadybal; Shaylynn Trego Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-27 Impact factor: 4.614