Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders created a need for assessing elementary, middle, and high school students’ experienced stressors associated with the coronavirus situation. In collaboration with a school district wanting information about their students’ well-being during the pandemic school shut-down, the current study investigated students’ reported types and levels of COVID-19 stressors. Data were collected from 2,738 students from fourth through 12th grade in a suburban Midwestern school district in the United States following school closure related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic were gathered from students via an online survey using Qualtrics. The students rated 20 items (e.g., not motivated to do schoolwork, not going to my school) on stress level. Stressor categories found included Social Isolation, Schoolwork Stress, Fear of COVID-19 Illness, and Missing Events. Middle and high school students reported higher schoolwork stress than did elementary students, and overall, females had higher reported stress on several stressors. The current study has implications for school psychologists including utilizing a tool to assess pandemic-related stressors, using prepandemic normative data in schools with caution, promoting education about COVID-19 to reduce fear, supporting teachers regarding addressing schoolwork stress experienced by students, and teaching students anxiety-reducing strategies such as mindfulness or coping strategies.

摘要

COVID-19大流行以及由此产生的在家中待命令导致需要评估小学，初中和高中学生与冠状病毒情况相关的有经验的压力源。与一个学区合作，希望在大流行学校停课期间了解学生的健康状况，本研究调查了学生报告的COVID-19压力源的类型和水平。在与COVID-19大流行相关的学校停课之后，从美国中西部郊区学区的4至12年级的2738名学生中收集了数据。通过Qualtrics在线调查从学生那里收集了与COVID-19大流行相关的压力数据。学生在压力水平上评定了20个项目（例如，没有动力去做功课，不去我的学校）。发现的压力源类别包括社会隔离，学校工作压力，对COVID-19疾病的恐惧和漏诊事件。中小学生的学业压力要比小学生的要高，总的来说，女性对几种压力源的压力更高。当前的研究对学校心理学家有影响，包括使用一种工具来评估与大流行相关的压力源，谨慎地在学校中使用大流行前的规范性数据，促进有关COVID-19的教育以减少恐惧，支持教师解决学生所经历的课业压力以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。中小学生的学业压力要比小学生的要高，总的来说，女性对几种压力源的压力更高。当前的研究对学校心理学家有影响，包括使用一种工具来评估与大流行相关的压力源，谨慎地在学校中使用大流行前的规范性数据，促进有关COVID-19的教育以减少恐惧，支持教师解决学生所经历的课业压力以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。中小学生的学业压力要比小学生的要高，总的来说，女性对几种压力源的压力更高。当前的研究对学校心理学家有影响，包括使用一种工具来评估与大流行相关的压力源，谨慎地在学校中使用大流行前的规范性数据，促进有关COVID-19的教育以减少恐惧，支持教师解决学生所经历的课业压力以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。