Background: Student mental health in higher education has been an increasing concern. The COVID-19 pandemic situation has brought this vulnerable population into renewed focus. Objective: Our study aims to conduct a timely assessment of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of college students. Methods: We conducted interview surveys with 195 students at a large public university in the United States to understand the effects of the pandemic on their mental health and well-being. The data were analyzed through quantitative and qualitative methods. Results: Of the 195 students, 138 (71%) indicated increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Multiple stressors were identified that contributed to the increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depressive thoughts among students. These included fear and worry about their own health and of their loved ones (177/195, 91% reported negative impacts of the pandemic), difficulty in concentrating (173/195, 89%), disruptions to sleeping patterns (168/195, 86%), decreased social interactions due to physical distancing (167/195, 86%), and increased concerns on academic performance (159/195, 82%). To cope with stress and anxiety, participants have sought support from others and helped themselves by adopting either negative or positive coping mechanisms. Conclusions: Due to the long-lasting pandemic situation and onerous measures such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the COVID-19 pandemic brings negative impacts on higher education. The findings of our study highlight the urgent need to develop interventions and preventive strategies to address the mental health of college students.

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中文翻译：

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在美国，COVID-19对大学生心理健康的影响：访谈调查研究。

背景：高等教育中学生的心理健康问题日益引起人们的关注。COVID-19大流行情况使这一弱势群体重新受到关注。目的：我们的研究旨在及时评估COVID-19大流行对大学生心理健康的影响。方法：我们对美国一所大型公立大学的195名学生进行了访谈调查，以了解该流行病对其心理健康和幸福的影响。通过定量和定性方法分析数据。结果：在195名学生中，有138名（71％）表示由于COVID-19爆发而增加了压力和焦虑感。确定了多种压力源，这些压力源导致学生的压力，焦虑和抑郁念头水平增加。其中包括对自己和亲人的健康的恐惧和担忧（177/195，91％的人报告了大流行的负面影响），注意力不集中（173 / 195，89％），睡眠方式中断（168/195， 86％），因身体疏远而减少的社交互动（167 / 195，86％）以及对学习成绩的关注增加（159 / 195，82％）。为了应对压力和焦虑，参与者寻求其他人的支持，并通过采用消极或积极的应对机制来帮助自己。结论：由于长期的大流行情况和诸如封锁和留在家中的订单之类的繁重措施，COVID-19大流行给高等教育带来了负面影响。

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