Bereavement, financial hardship especially impactful on student distress, while contracting COVID-19 tied to lower risk for distress<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
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\n\tTHURSDAY, Aug. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Financial hardship and bereavement are particularly important stressors tied to psychological distress among college students during the pandemic, according to a study published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n \n\tAbdelrahman ElTohamy, M.D., from Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues used data from 65,568 undergraduate students participating in the spring 2021 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment to examine pandemic-related experiences on young adult mental health.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe researchers found that participants who experienced the death of a loved one had 1.14 times greater odds of developing psychological distress. Similarly, those who experienced financial hardship had 1.78 times greater odds of developing psychological distress. Testing positive for COVID-19 was associated with 0.82 times lower odds of psychological distress.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“Our results highlight the importance of understanding the relative effects of different pandemic-related factors on college students’ well-being,” the authors write. “Regardless of the direct physical effects of COVID-19, it seems that indirect psychosocial and emotional effects of losing loved ones and\/or facing financial hardships might exert a significant harmful impact on students’ mental health.”\n<\/p>\n