Abstract

Objective: Shelter-in-place and social distancing reduce the risk of infection spread, but evidence is appearing to support an unintentional spread of negative mental health effects. The aim of this study was to assess perceived stress in a sample of undergraduate students reflecting upon Spring 2020. Participants and methods: Undergraduate students (N = 312, 75% female, 88% white) completed an online survey assessing demographic information and stress assessed via Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale. Results: Student respondents averaged PSS scores of 21.31(7.54) with 82% of students classified as having moderate or high perceived stress. Females reported higher perceived stress scores compared to males (Z = 4.89, p < 0.01). Conclusions: With concerns about enrollment and financial viability of universities, funneling limited funds to student mental health services could be a utilization of universities’ limited funds during Fall 2020.

摘要

目标：就地避难所和保持社交距离可降低感染传播的风险，但证据似乎支持负面心理健康影响的无意传播。本研究的目的是评估 2020 年春季本科生样本中的感知压力。参与者和方法：本科生（N = 312，75% 为女性，88% 为白人）完成了一项评估人口统计信息和压力评估的在线调查通过科恩的感知压力量表。结果：学生受访者的平均 PSS 分数为 21.31(7.54)，其中 82% 的学生被归类为具有中度或高度感知压力。与男性相比，女性报告的感知压力得分更高（Z = 4.89，p  < 0.01）。结论：出于对大学招生和财务可行性的担忧，将有限的资金用于学生心理健康服务可能是在 2020 年秋季期间利用大学的有限资金。