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 大流行和由此产生的居家令需要评估小、中、高中学生与冠状病毒情况相关的压力源。本研究与希望了解大流行学校停课期间学生健康状况的学区合作，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后，从美国中西部郊区学区的 2,738 名四年级至 12 年级学生收集了数据。与 COVID-19 大流行相关的压力数据是通过使用 Qualtrics 的在线调查从学生那里收集的。学生对压力水平的 20 个项目（例如，没有动力做功课，不去我的学校）进行评分。发现的压力源类别包括社会孤立、学业压力、对 COVID-19 疾病的恐惧和错过的事件。初中和高中学生报告的学业压力高于小学生，总体而言，女性在几个压力源上报告的压力更高。目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，谨慎使用学校的大流行前规范数据，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功课压力，以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。初中和高中学生报告的学业压力高于小学生，总体而言，女性在几个压力源上报告的压力更高。目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，谨慎使用学校的大流行前规范数据，促进有关 COVID-19 的教育以减少恐惧，支持教师解决学生经历的课业压力，以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。初中和高中学生报告的学业压力高于小学生，总体而言，女性在几个压力源上报告的压力更高。目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，谨慎使用学校的大流行前规范数据，促进有关 COVID-19 的教育以减少恐惧，支持教师解决学生经历的课业压力，以及教学学生减少焦虑的策略，例如正念或应对策略。