University student wellbeing during COVID-19: associations with infection prevalence and social gathering restrictions in an observational study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a global, uncontrolled social isolation experiment, with especially pernicious effects on the wellbeing of young adults. We sought to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the wellbeing of university undergraduate students, distinguishing between factors related to infection prevalence and those linked to social restriction.

Methods

277 total U.S. undergraduate students enrolled in a course on mental wellbeing and resilience that was offered once each year from 2020 to 2024. Students anonymously completed surveys assessing anxiety, depression, and subjective wellbeing on a weekly basis. These behavioral data were aggregated and investigated for associations with local COVID-19 case levels and a university social gathering me

SUBMITTER: Noble DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12848539 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature