Abstract
This study examined types of and reactions to loss experienced by a sample of 162 undergraduate and graduate students in the United States amid the COVID-19 global pandemic. Results indicated students reported an average of 6.33 losses with loss of normalcy being the most prominent. The number of losses experienced was a significant predictor of loss of control and avoidance. A significant positive relationship was revealed between spirituality and positive reappraisal whereas a significant negative correlation was identified between spirituality and loss of control and avoidance. Age was also negatively associated with expressions of avoidance and loss of control. Finally, students who attended faith-based institutions reported higher levels of positive reappraisal and lower levels of loss of control. Results suggest the need for educators and mental health practitioners to assess non-death losses among college students and provide supportive interventions aimed at promoting psychosocial-spiritual coping and resilience during and following a pandemic.
Highlights
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and by March 11, 2020, it was characterized as a global pandemic (WHO, 2021)
This study aimed to identify the most common non-death losses experienced by undergraduate and graduate college students amid the pandemic
Findings suggested college students experienced a myriad of significant losses across their personal and academic lives during the pandemic
Summary
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and by March 11, 2020, it was characterized as a global pandemic (WHO, 2021). In a study of 52,730 residents of China, 35% of participants reported significant psychological distress as a result of the pandemic. Wang et al (2020) reported the COVID-19 pandemic impacted symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among a sample of 1,210 residents in China. Son et al (2020) discovered that only a small percentage (5%) of participants who indicated the pandemic increased their anxiety and stress sought mental health services. This finding is consistent with Liang et al (2020) who reported the mental health support seeking rate during the initial months of the COVID-19 epidemic in China was less than 1%. Several studies have indicated individuals experienced greater than usual rates of psychological distress during the pandemic (Ahmed et al, 2020; Gonzalez-Sanguino et al, 2020; Huang & Zhao, 2020; Moghanibashi-Mansourieh, 2020; Ozamiz-Etxebarria et al, 2020; Xiong et al, 2020)
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