strong thesis statement about covid 19

8.4 Annotated Student Sample: "U.S. Response to COVID-19" by Trevor Garcia

Learning outcomes.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Identify the genre conventions of an informal analytical report.
• Analyze the organizational structure of a report and how writers develop ideas.
• Recognize how writers use evidence and objectivity to build credibility.
• Identify sources of evidence within a text and in source citations.

Introduction

The analytical report that follows was written by a student, Trevor Garcia, for a first-year composition course. Trevor’s assignment was to research and analyze a contemporary issue in terms of its causes or effects. He chose to analyze the causes behind the large numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths in the United States in 2020. The report is structured as an essay, and its format is informal.

Living by Their Own Words

Successes and failures.

student sample text With more than 83 million cases and 1.8 million deaths at the end of 2020, COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. By the end of 2020, the United States led the world in the number of cases, at more than 20 million infections and nearly 350,000 deaths. In comparison, the second-highest number of cases was in India, which at the end of 2020 had less than half the number of COVID-19 cases despite having a population four times greater than the U.S. (“COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic,” 2021). How did the United States come to have the world’s worst record in this pandemic? An examination of the U.S. response shows that a reduction of experts in key positions and programs, inaction that led to equipment shortages, and inconsistent policies were three major causes of the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths. end student sample text

annotated text Introduction. Informal reports follow essay structure and open with an overview. end annotated text

annotated text Statistics as Evidence. The writer gives statistics about infection rates and numbers of deaths; a comparison provides context. end annotated text

annotated text Source Citation in APA Style: No Author. A web page without a named author is cited by the title and the year. end annotated text

annotated text Thesis Statement. The rhetorical question leads to the thesis statement in the last sentence of the introduction. The thesis statement previews the organization and indicates the purpose—to analyze the causes of the U.S. response to the virus. end annotated text

Reductions in Expert Personnel and Preparedness Programs

annotated text Headings. This heading and those that follow mark sections of the report. end annotated text

annotated text Body. The three paragraphs under this heading support the first main point in the thesis statement. end annotated text

student sample text Epidemiologists and public health officials in the United States had long known that a global pandemic was possible. end student sample text

annotated text Topic Sentence. The paragraph opens with a sentence stating the topic. The rest of this paragraph and the two that follow develop the topic chronologically. end annotated text

student sample text In 2016, the National Security Council (NSC) published Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents , a 69-page document on responding to diseases spreading within and outside of the United States. On January 13, 2017, the joint transition teams of outgoing president Barack Obama and then president-elect Donald Trump performed a pandemic preparedness exercise based on the playbook; however, it was never adopted by the incoming administration (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). A year later, in February 2018, the Trump administration began to cut funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leaving key positions unfilled. Other individuals who were fired or resigned in 2018 were the homeland security adviser, whose portfolio included global pandemics; the director for medical and biodefense preparedness; and the top official in charge of a pandemic response. None of them were replaced, thus leaving the White House with no senior person who had experience in public health (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). Experts voiced concerns, among them Luciana Borio, director of medical and biodefense preparedness at the NSC, who spoke at a symposium marking the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic in May 2018: “The threat of pandemic flu is the number one health security concern,” she said. “Are we ready to respond? I fear the answer is no” (Sun, 2018, final para.). end student sample text

annotated text Audience. The writer assumes that his readers have a strong grasp of government and agencies within the government. end annotated text

annotated text Synthesis. The paragraph synthesizes factual evidence from two sources and cites them in APA style. end annotated text

annotated text Expert Quotation as Supporting Evidence. The expert’s credentials are given, her exact words are placed in quotation marks, and the source is cited in parentheses. end annotated text

annotated text Source Citation in APA Style: No Page Numbers. Because the source of the quotation has no page numbers, the specific paragraph within the source (“final para.”; alternatively, “para. 18”) is provided in the parenthetical citation. end annotated text

student sample text Cuts continued in 2019, among them a maintenance contract for ventilators in the federal emergency supply and PREDICT, a U.S. agency for international development designed to identify and prevent pandemics (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). In July 2019, the White House eliminated the position of an American public health official in Beijing, China, who was working with China’s disease control agency to help detect and contain infectious diseases. The first case of COVID-19 emerged in China four months later, on November 17, 2019. end student sample text

annotated text Development of First Main Point. This paragraph continues the chronological development of the first point, using a transitional sentence and evidence to discuss the year 2019. end annotated text

student sample text After the first U.S. coronavirus case was confirmed in 2020, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was named to lead a task force on a response, but after several months, he was replaced when then vice president Mike Pence was officially charged with leading the White House Coronavirus Task Force (Ballhaus & Armour, 2020). Experts who remained, including Dr. Deborah Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health, were sidelined. Turnover of personnel in related government departments and agencies continued throughout 2020, leaving the country without experts in key positions to lead the pandemic response. end student sample text

annotated text Development of First Main Point. This paragraph continues the chronological development of the first point, using a transitional sentence and evidence to discuss the start of the pandemic in 2020. end annotated text

Inaction and Equipment Shortages

annotated text Body. The three paragraphs under this heading support the second main point in the thesis statement. end annotated text

student sample text In January and February of 2020, the president’s daily brief included more than a dozen detailed warnings, based on wire intercepts, computer intercepts, and satellite images by the U.S. intelligence community (Miller & Nakashima, 2020). Although senior officials began to assemble a task force, no direct action was taken until mid-March. end student sample text

annotated text Topic Sentences. The paragraph opens with two sentences stating the topic that is developed in the following paragraphs. end annotated text

student sample text The stockpile of medical equipment and personal protective equipment was dangerously low before the pandemic began. Although the federal government had paid $9.8 million to manufacturers in 2018 and 2019 to develop and produce protective masks, by April 2020 the government had not yet received a single mask (Swaine, 2020). Despite the low stockpile, a request by the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early 2020 to begin contacting companies about possible shortages of necessary medical equipment, including personal protective equipment, was denied. This decision was made to avoid alarming the industry and the public and to avoid giving the impression that the administration was not prepared for the pandemic (Ballhaus & Armour, 2020). end student sample text

annotated text Topic Sentence. The paragraph opens with a sentence stating the topic that is developed in the paragraph. end annotated text

annotated text Objective Stance. The writer presents evidence (facts, statistics, and examples) in mostly neutral, unemotional language, which builds trustworthiness, or ethos , with readers. end annotated text

annotated text Synthesis. The paragraph synthesizes factual evidence from two sources. end annotated text

student sample text When former President Trump declared a national emergency on March 13, federal agencies began placing bulk orders for masks and other medical equipment. These orders led to critical shortages throughout the nation. In addition, states were instructed to acquire their own equipment and found themselves bidding against each other for the limited supplies available, leading one head of a coronavirus team composed of consulting and private equity firms to remark that “the federal stockpile was . . . supposed to be our stockpile. It’s not supposed to be states’ stockpiles that they then use” (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020, April 2, 2020). end student sample text

Policy Decisions

annotated text Body. The paragraph under this heading addresses the third main point in the thesis statement. end annotated text

student sample text Policy decisions, too, hampered the U.S. response to the pandemic. end student sample text

student sample text Although the HHS and NSC recommended stay-at-home directives on February 14, directives and guidelines for social distancing were not announced until March 16, and guidelines for mask wearing were inconsistent and contradictory (Goodman & Schulkin, 2020). Implementing the recommendations was left to the discretion of state governors, resulting in uneven stay-at-home orders, business closures, school closures, and mask mandates from state to state. The lack of a consistent message from the federal government not only delegated responsibility to state and local governments but also encouraged individuals to make their own choices, further hampering containment efforts. Seeing government officials and politicians without masks, for example, led many people to conclude that masks were unnecessary. Seeing large groups of people standing together at political rallies led people to ignore social distancing in their own lives. end student sample text

annotated text Synthesis. The paragraph synthesizes factual evidence from a source and examples drawn from the writer’s observation. end annotated text

student sample text Although the first cases of COVID-19 were detected in the United States in January, genetic researchers later determined that the viral strain responsible for sustained transmission of the disease did not enter the country until around February 13 (Branswell, 2020), providing further evidence that the failed U.S. response to the pandemic could have been prevented. Cuts to public health staff reduced the number of experts in leadership positions. Inaction in the early months of the pandemic led to critical shortages of medical equipment and supplies. Mixed messages and inconsistent policies undermined efforts to control and contain the disease. Unfortunately, the response to the disease in 2020 cannot be changed, but 2021 looks brighter. Most people who want the vaccine—nonexistent at the beginning of the pandemic and unavailable until recently—will have received it by the end of 2021. Americans will have experienced two years of living with the coronavirus, and everyone will have been affected in some way. end student sample text

annotated text Conclusion. The report concludes with a restatement of the main points given in the thesis and points to the future. end annotated text

Ballhaus, R., & Armour, S. (2020, April 22). Health chief’s early missteps set back coronavirus response. Wall Street Journal . https://www.wsj.com/articles/health-chiefs-early-missteps-set-back-coronavirus-response-11587570514

Branswell, H. (2020, May 26). New research rewrites history of when COVID-19 took off in the U.S.—and points to missed chances to stop it . STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/26/new-research-rewrites-history-of-when-covid-19-arrived-in-u-s-and-points-to-missed-chances-to-stop-it/

COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic . (2021, January 13). Worldometer. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries

Goodman, R., & Schulkin, D. (2020, November 3). Timeline of the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. response . Just Security. https://www.justsecurity.org/69650/timeline-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-and-u-s-response/

Miller, G., & Nakashima, E. (2020, April 27). President’s intelligence briefing book repeatedly cited virus threat. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/presidents-intelligence-briefing-book-repeatedly-cited-virus-threat/2020/04/27/ca66949a-8885-11ea-ac8a-fe9b8088e101_story.html

Sun, L. H. (2018, May 10). Top White House official in charge of pandemic response exits abruptly. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/05/10/top-white-house-official-in-charge-of-pandemic-response-exits-abruptly/

Swaine, J. (2020, April 3). Federal government spent millions to ramp up mask readiness, but that isn’t helping now. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/federal-government-spent-millions-to-ramp-up-mask-readiness-but-that-isnt-helping-now/2020/04/03/d62dda5c-74fa-11ea-a9bd-9f8b593300d0_story.html

annotated text References Page in APA Style. All sources cited in the text of the report, and only those sources, are listed in alphabetical order with full publication information. See the Handbook for more on APA documentation style. end annotated text

Discussion Questions

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How to Write About Coronavirus in a College Essay

Students can share how they navigated life during the coronavirus pandemic in a full-length essay or an optional supplement.

Writing About COVID-19 in College Essays

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Experts say students should be honest and not limit themselves to merely their experiences with the pandemic.

The global impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, means colleges and prospective students alike are in for an admissions cycle like no other. Both face unprecedented challenges and questions as they grapple with their respective futures amid the ongoing fallout of the pandemic.

Colleges must examine applicants without the aid of standardized test scores for many – a factor that prompted many schools to go test-optional for now . Even grades, a significant component of a college application, may be hard to interpret with some high schools adopting pass-fail classes last spring due to the pandemic. Major college admissions factors are suddenly skewed.

"I can't help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more," says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

College essays and letters of recommendation , Sawyer says, are likely to carry more weight than ever in this admissions cycle. And many essays will likely focus on how the pandemic shaped students' lives throughout an often tumultuous 2020.

But before writing a college essay focused on the coronavirus, students should explore whether it's the best topic for them.

Writing About COVID-19 for a College Application

Much of daily life has been colored by the coronavirus. Virtual learning is the norm at many colleges and high schools, many extracurriculars have vanished and social lives have stalled for students complying with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"For some young people, the pandemic took away what they envisioned as their senior year," says Robert Alexander, dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at the University of Rochester in New York. "Maybe that's a spot on a varsity athletic team or the lead role in the fall play. And it's OK for them to mourn what should have been and what they feel like they lost, but more important is how are they making the most of the opportunities they do have?"

That question, Alexander says, is what colleges want answered if students choose to address COVID-19 in their college essay.

But the question of whether a student should write about the coronavirus is tricky. The answer depends largely on the student.

"In general, I don't think students should write about COVID-19 in their main personal statement for their application," Robin Miller, master college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a college counseling company, wrote in an email.

"Certainly, there may be exceptions to this based on a student's individual experience, but since the personal essay is the main place in the application where the student can really allow their voice to be heard and share insight into who they are as an individual, there are likely many other topics they can choose to write about that are more distinctive and unique than COVID-19," Miller says.

Opinions among admissions experts vary on whether to write about the likely popular topic of the pandemic.

"If your essay communicates something positive, unique, and compelling about you in an interesting and eloquent way, go for it," Carolyn Pippen, principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. She adds that students shouldn't be dissuaded from writing about a topic merely because it's common, noting that "topics are bound to repeat, no matter how hard we try to avoid it."

Above all, she urges honesty.

"If your experience within the context of the pandemic has been truly unique, then write about that experience, and the standing out will take care of itself," Pippen says. "If your experience has been generally the same as most other students in your context, then trying to find a unique angle can easily cross the line into exploiting a tragedy, or at least appearing as though you have."

But focusing entirely on the pandemic can limit a student to a single story and narrow who they are in an application, Sawyer says. "There are so many wonderful possibilities for what you can say about yourself outside of your experience within the pandemic."

He notes that passions, strengths, career interests and personal identity are among the multitude of essay topic options available to applicants and encourages them to probe their values to help determine the topic that matters most to them – and write about it.

That doesn't mean the pandemic experience has to be ignored if applicants feel the need to write about it.

Writing About Coronavirus in Main and Supplemental Essays

Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form.

To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the personal and academic impact of COVID-19.

"That's not a trick question, and there's no right or wrong answer," Alexander says. Colleges want to know, he adds, how students navigated the pandemic, how they prioritized their time, what responsibilities they took on and what they learned along the way.

If students can distill all of the above information into 250 words, there's likely no need to write about it in a full-length college essay, experts say. And applicants whose lives were not heavily altered by the pandemic may even choose to skip the optional COVID-19 question.

"This space is best used to discuss hardship and/or significant challenges that the student and/or the student's family experienced as a result of COVID-19 and how they have responded to those difficulties," Miller notes. Using the section to acknowledge a lack of impact, she adds, "could be perceived as trite and lacking insight, despite the good intentions of the applicant."

To guard against this lack of awareness, Sawyer encourages students to tap someone they trust to review their writing , whether it's the 250-word Common App response or the full-length essay.

Experts tend to agree that the short-form approach to this as an essay topic works better, but there are exceptions. And if a student does have a coronavirus story that he or she feels must be told, Alexander encourages the writer to be authentic in the essay.

"My advice for an essay about COVID-19 is the same as my advice about an essay for any topic – and that is, don't write what you think we want to read or hear," Alexander says. "Write what really changed you and that story that now is yours and yours alone to tell."

Sawyer urges students to ask themselves, "What's the sentence that only I can write?" He also encourages students to remember that the pandemic is only a chapter of their lives and not the whole book.

Miller, who cautions against writing a full-length essay on the coronavirus, says that if students choose to do so they should have a conversation with their high school counselor about whether that's the right move. And if students choose to proceed with COVID-19 as a topic, she says they need to be clear, detailed and insightful about what they learned and how they adapted along the way.

"Approaching the essay in this manner will provide important balance while demonstrating personal growth and vulnerability," Miller says.

Pippen encourages students to remember that they are in an unprecedented time for college admissions.

"It is important to keep in mind with all of these (admission) factors that no colleges have ever had to consider them this way in the selection process, if at all," Pippen says. "They have had very little time to calibrate their evaluations of different application components within their offices, let alone across institutions. This means that colleges will all be handling the admissions process a little bit differently, and their approaches may even evolve over the course of the admissions cycle."

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Writing a thesis during a pandemic: 4 Lessons

As I enter the last 2 months of my PhD and prepare to hand in my thesis (as you read this I will be editing my final draft) it’s hard not to reflect on the ups and downs of the last 4 years. These last few months have been the hardest; I have been forced to piece together 3 chapters using half-finished data and fill in the gaps as best I can. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic I lost a total of 6 months of lab time and during the last 10 months, I have only had partial access to the lab. All of this has been mentally taxing, and I know I’m not the only one who has suffered.

As I reflect on my time as a PhD student I can’t help but evaluate how I think I performed and handled events. As I write up my thesis and do some self-reflection there are a few ideas that keep cropping up, and make me think “I wish I had known that earlier.” Even so I can’t help but think that even if someone had told me these things earlier I wouldn’t have listened; sometimes you have to live through something to learn from it. Either way, to those who are either just starting their PhD or are starting to write their own thesis, here are some tips that writing my thesis has taught me.

95% of things are out of your control

The pandemic put a stop to lots of things; weddings were postponed, visits with family cancelled, and, worst of all, mourning loved ones was put on hold. In the modern age we like to imagine we have control over the world – in reality, we still control very little of what happens to us. During any PhD, unforeseen circumstances will prevent you from doing what you planned; broken equipment, unreliable collaborators, or a shortage of key materials – and that’s on a good day. At the start of my PhD, I assumed I would control what went into my thesis and how good the final product would be. Then comes a global pandemic that halts my ability to gather data (no lab = no experiments). It’s hard to accept but fortune has a habit of doing what it wants. This means it’s up to you to focus on the little you do control. Get upset and angry but then, once that initial reaction passes, figure out what you control and where you can put your energy so it can actually make an impact.

Be the tortoise, not the hare

Writing can be an incredibly dull process, especially in science. You might spend 2 hours reading publications from the last decade only to write two sentences. It can feel like wading through quicksand. The trick is not to put too much pressure on yourself; easier said than done, I know. But when you’re writing any large body of work (the average PhD thesis is 100+ pages) you have to accept that you can’t cram it all in the week before the deadline. Instead, set small goals and set them early. The goal isn’t to write a 100-page masterpiece, the goal is to write 100 words today for 3 months. When we first went into lockdown this was the goal I set for myself. Some days I wrote more, but I always made sure that I wrote 100 words a day. Any progress is progress, no matter how small. Find a goal you can achieve each day and do it.

Guard your time

When the lab eventually reopened (at 50% capacity) writing fell to the bottom of my priority list. It was replaced with lab time, experimental planning, and data analysis. I have realised that this was a huge mistake and I was ignoring my own advice; rather than doing a little every day I did no writing for weeks. As my deadline began to loom closer I realised I needed to re-dedicate time each day to writing. I had to say to push back against my supervisor who wanted me in the lab all day every day that “I’m going to be spending less time in the lab, so I can spend more time writing – sorry.” If you have a thesis to submit writing is as much a priority as lab work. Set some time aside each day or each week, whatever works for you, and spend it dedicated to writing.

Never underestimate the power of editing

Anyone can write words on a page, but telling a good story – that is a challenge. If you want your writing to be more than just words on a page then editing is your best friend. Some people will say the only important part of a thesis is the data. But if the story around the data, how you got it, what it means, why it’s important, is bad then what use is the data? That’s what a thesis does – tells your examiners the story of your PhD. To make that story the best it can be you’re going to need to do a lot of editing, not just for spelling and grammar, but getting the flow and structure right. This has been especially important for me; thanks to the pandemic my data is a bit thin so I need to make sure the story I tell is impressive.  As a rule I try to accomplish two full edits of any work I write, depending on time. I also recommend getting friends and family to read your work (you may need to bribe them if they hate science) to spot any obvious mistakes that you will no doubt have missed. 

These are just some of the ideas that I have kept in mind when writing up my thesis over the last few months. I hope there is something here you can use when it’s your turn to write up (and hopefully you won’t be doing it during a global pandemic).

Photo by  Edwin Hooper  on  Unsplash under Unsplash License

Steve is currently a member of the EPSRC CDT in Advanced Therapeutics and Nanomedicines at the University of Nottingham. He uses bioelectronics to design new treatments and diagnostic devices. When he's away from the lab he can usually be found lost in the woods or up a mountain. Twitter: @Steve_Gibney

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Covid impact statement

An optional impact statement to explain to your examiners how your project/thesis has changed as a consequence of Covid-19 restrictions.

Many PGRs will have had to adapt their research project, sometimes significantly, in response to Covid-19 restrictions and this may be a cause of concern. Be reassured that adapting research projects in the light of unforeseen circumstances is a normal part of research and you will not be disadvantaged for doing so, as long as you are still able to meet the criteria for the relevant award ( section 2 of the Policy on Research Degrees ).

If you believe the pandemic is having or has had a significant negative impact on your personal circumstances (for example, led to ill-health or a challenging domestic situation) you should request a  leave of absence  or  extension  on those grounds. As always, you can seek independent advice from the Graduate Student's Association advice team.

Challenges and context

If you started on or before 31 March 2021 and will submit from December 2020 onwards, you will have the option of submitting a short impact statement to give contextual information about the effect of the Covid-19 restrictions on your research project/thesis. Submitted statements will be shared by PGR Administration with your examiners, who may explore the statement in an oral examination.

The statement enables you to explain challenges, for example:

• difficulty or delay in collecting or analysing data due to the closure of/restrictions on laboratories/other specialist facilities/expertise, curtailed/cancelled fieldwork due to travel restrictions or social distancing measures
• reduced data in one or more theis chapters, and/or thesis chapters that are shorter and/or not as closely linked as might be expected

You can also explain how the planned (i.e. pre-Covid-19 restrictions) research would have fitted into the thesis’ narrative and the steps you took to address the challenges arising from the Covid-19 restrictions, in terms of adjusting the scope, design or phasing of their research project/thesis, for example:

• one or more changes of research topic
• a change in emphasis from empirical to theoretical research
• a change of research location (fieldwork, archive, etc)
• a change a method (e.g. running experiments remotely rather than in person, using simulation, moving from in-person data collection to online data collection, analysing existing data sets)
• altering the timing of, or substituting, one or more experiments.

Submit an impact statement

You should complete the impact statement just before you submit your thesis for examination. Please upload the completed impact statement (as a PDF file) with your thesis.

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Thesis Submission Guidance: COVID-19 Impact Statement

In response to the impact of the global pandemic, we’re giving you the option to include a statement at the start of your thesis which outlines the effects that COVID-19 may have had on the research that you have undertaken towards your doctoral degree.

The inclusion of a statement is to facilitate the reader’s awareness, both now and in the future, that the pandemic may have had an effect on the scope, direction and presentation of the research.

The academic standards and quality threshold for the award remains unchanged. Where statements are included, you should be reassured that this is not evidencing a lack of original research or intellectual rigour.

If you decide to include one such statement, it should appear on the first page of the thesis, after the cover page, and be titled ‘Impact of COVID-19’. The statement should not exceed 1000 words and will not count towards the total thesis word count.

Examples of potential areas for consideration and comment when developing your impact statement are below. However, you should discuss the content of the statement with your supervisor before submission:

• Details on how disruption caused by COVID-19 has impacted the research (for example, an inability to conduct face to face research, an inability to collect/analyse data as a result of travel constraints, or restricted access to labs or other working spaces).
• A description of how the planned work would have fitted within the thesis narrative (e.g., through method development, expansion of analytical skills or advancement of hypotheses).
• A summary of any decisions / actions taken to mitigate for any work or data collection/analyses that were prevented by COVID-19.
• Highlighting new research questions and developments, emphasising the work that has been undertaken in pivoting or adjusting the project.

You are reminded of the public nature of the published thesis and the longevity of any such included statements about the impact of the pandemic. You are advised to take a cautious approach as to the insertion of any personal information in these statements.

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Paper 2: Working Thesis Statement

For class Wednesday, 2 March, please post the following in a comment to this message:

• A brief statement of the subject for your paper
• Two potential thesis statements for your paper.  (You can find information about writing a strong thesis statement in the OWL at https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/establishing_arguments/index.html

If you have not done so already, please be sure to email me your homework for Monday’s class (a statement of your topic, why you are interested in it, and two or three sources on this topic).

10 Responses to Paper 2: Working Thesis Statement

John Tommasi Video gaming during the pandemic

The gaming industry’s success during the pandemic is due to its synchronicity with remote technology as well as changing consumer lifestyles.

Increased video gaming during the pandemic is a result of personal stress and a desire to safely interact with others.

Jeff Cheung

Music-making/performing during the pandemic.

By stripping away the chances for people to listen and make music together, COVID-19 strengthened the power of music as there is an increased demand for it. Many people realized that in times of uncertainty and darkness, music uplifts and heals.

There are classically trained musicians who devoted decades of arduous work studying in conservatories to make a living just for COVID-19 to strip that away from them. As a result, many of them are left without their livelihoods and are struggling to make ends meet.

Uzay Poyraz

How did the pandemic affect the nightlife sector in France?

2 Working thesis statement:

Although the normalization of the pandemic aids in the revival of the nightlife scene in France, the effects of the pandemic indefinitely limit the rebound to what it was before the pandemic.

Although the reducing effects of the pandemic allow France’s nightlife scene to become active again, many underlying reasons limit a return to the before-pandemic state.

Revised thesis: Although COVID-19 took away many opportunities for live classical music collaboration and performance, technological innovations on remote music-making in addition to platforms such as Zoom and YouTube resulted in a digital cultural shift that made classical music much more accessible to the masses.

Consuming Video Media during the pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, the way our culture consumes content has changed and is still on the verge of changing to a new post-pandemic style. The pandemic made theaters close their doors for nearly a year pushing everyone else to find ways to entertain themselves indoors more often causing a rise in the usage of streaming services, direct to streaming movies, and the emergence of releasing movies in both streaming and theater formats.

One of the cultural changes caused by the pandemic was that we watched more movies and shows at home because movie theaters had closed. Movie companies had to adapt and figure out ways to best take advantage of this by releasing movies straight to their streaming services and a year into the pandemic releasing movies both in theaters and the streaming services. There was also the explosion of streaming shows such as Netflix’s Tiger King and Disney+ WandaVision which showed that people are into the streaming format.

Dominick Sannino Essential workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has left few aspects of our society untouched, rapidly shifting our culture in ways unimaginable to those living in a pre pandemic world. Arguably one of the most positive changes in American culture during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rise in public appreciation for blue collar and service industry workers. While at face value the name “essential worker” may seem only like a symbolic change in how the public views the working class, this new title in many ways reflects larger shifts in public attitude and treatment of workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has left few aspects of our society untouched, rapidly shifting our culture in ways unimaginable to those living in a pre pandemic world. Arguably one of the most positive changes in American culture during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the growth of the workers rights movement. Recent increases in unionization and a demand for higher wages has begun to shift workers’ opinion about their role in society and the workplace. This growing demand for better working and living conditions may be one of the most impactful cultural marks left by the pandemic.

Emma Laquinta How has the pandemic influenced our interaction(s) with medical professionals? How has the increased reliance on telemedicine?

1. The COVID-19 Pandemic has forever changed the landscape of medical practice, though it is unclear whether shifts to telemedicine, rapidly changing legislature, and increased media coverage of this industry will positively impact the future of American medicine.

2. While the COVID-19 Pandemic has undoubtedly advanced the rise of telemedicine as the predominant communication method between patients and medical providers, this shift has the potential to do more harm than good in the medical industry.

Nicholas Flecha

Interest in the stock market during the pandemic.

The pandemic caused many people, primarily middle-class, to develop an interest into the stock market and investing as a whole.

The stock market gained a larger audience of interested middle-class people as a result of the pandemic.

Binge watching

Given the bleak context, we can examine binge watching tv shows in a new light. The near universality of binge watching shows in the US during COVID 19 is a representation of culture during the pandemic.

The near vegetable states of those at home deprived them of a story, a narrative, and a purpose. The shows once seemed like x hours of waste then enthralled us. The shows created a new world, they simulated a life that we would rather pay attention to than the lack of motion in front of the computer screen, which was very common for many.

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A Study on Students' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Through the Perspective of Mental Health Professionals

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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on public health around the globe in terms of both physical and mental health, and the mental health implications of the pandemic may continue long after the physical health consequences have resolved. This research area aims to contribute to our understanding of the COVID-19 pandemics implications for mental health, building on a robust literature on how environmental crises, such as SARS or natural disasters, can lead to mental health challenges, including loneliness, acute stress, anxiety, and depression. The social distancing aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have particularly significant effects on mental health. Understanding how mental health evolves as a result of this serious global pandemic will inform prevention and treatment strategies moving forward, including allocation of resources to those most in need. Critically, these data can also serve as evidence-based information for public health organizations and the public as a whole.

Understanding the Mental Health Implications of a Pandemic

Introduction

The world is entering into a new phase with COVID-19 spreading rapidly. People will be studying various consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental and behavioral health should be a core part of that effort. There is a robust literature on how environmental crises, such as SARS or natural disasters, can lead to mental health challenges, including loneliness, acute stress, anxiety, and depression. The social distancing aspects of the current pandemic may have particularly significant effects on mental health. Understanding how mental health evolves as a result of this serious global outbreak will inform prevention and treatment strategies moving forward, including allocation of resources to those most in need. Critically, these data can also serve as evidence-based information for public health organizations and the public as a whole.

The data will be leveraged to address many questions, such as:

• Which individuals are at greatest risk for high levels of mental health distress during a pandemic?
• As individuals spend more time inside and isolated, how does their mental health distress evolve?
• How do different behaviors (such as media consumption) relate to mental health? 

Read more about how our experts are measuring mental distress amid a pandemic.  

We have been working to ensure that measurement of mental health measures is a key part of large-scale national and international data collections relative to COVID-19.

Read more about conducting research studies on mental health during the pandemic. 

Mental Health Resources

See our resources guide here.

Members of the COVID-19 Mental Health Measurement Working Group

• M. Daniele Fallin, JHSPH
• Calliope Holingue, Kennedy Krieger Institute, JHSPH
• Renee M. Johnson, JHSPH
• Luke Kalb, Kennedy Krieger Institute, JHSPH
• Frauke Kreuter, University of Maryland, University of Mannheim
• Courtney Nordeck, JHSPH
• Kira Riehm, JHSPH
• Emily J. Smail, JHSPH
• Elizabeth Stuart, JHSPH
• Johannes Thrul, JHSPH
• Cindy Veldhuis, Columbia University School of Nursing

The Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Mental Health Measurement Working Group developed key questions to add to existing large domestic and international surveys to measure the mental health impact of the pandemic.

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Home > Honors College > Honors Theses > 1912

Honors Theses

An analysis of the effects of covid-19 on students at the university of mississippi: family, careers, mental health.

Hannah Newbold Follow

Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2021

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Integrated Marketing Communication

First Advisor

Second advisor.

Cynthia Joyce

Third Advisor

Marquita Smith

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

This study analyzes the effects of COVID-19 on students at the University of Mississippi. For students, COVID-19 changed the landscape of education, with classes and jobs going online. Students who graduated in May 2020 entered a poor job market and many ended up going to graduate school instead of finding a job. Access to medical and professional help was limited at the very beginning, with offices not taking patients or moving appointments to virtual only. This would require that each student needing help had to have access to quality internet service, which wasn’t always guaranteed, thus producing additional challenges.

These chapters, including a robust literature review of relevant sources, as well as a personal essay, consist further of interviews with students and mental health counselors conducted over the span of several months. These interviews were conducted and recorded over Zoom. The interviews were conducted with individuals who traveled in similar social circles as me. These previously existing relationships allowed the conversation to go deeper than before and allowed new levels of relationship. Emerging from these conversations were six overlapping themes: the importance of family, the need for health over career, the challenge of isolation, struggles with virtual education, assessing mental health, and facing the reality of a bright future not promised. Their revelations of deep academic challenges and fears about the future amid stories of devastating personal loss, produces a striking and complex picture of emerging strength.

Recommended Citation

Newbold, Hannah, "An Analysis Of The Effects Of COVID-19 On Students At The University of Mississippi: Family, Careers, Mental Health" (2021). Honors Theses . 1912. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/1912

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Study on the impact of covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of chinese college students: a cross-sectional analysis.

• 1 School of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
• 2 Joint International Research Laboratory of Key Technology for Rail Traffic Safety, Central South University, Changsha, China
• 3 Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the mental health of college students, prompting the need for universities to implement measures to mitigate these adverse effects. This study aims to assess the mental health status and mitigation measures of college students, identify the primary factors contributing to their mental health challenges, and provide suggestions for educational institutions to reduce negative psychological impacts.

Methods: In February 2023, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,445 college students. Statistical analysis was performed on the survey results, and multiple regression models were used to identify significant influencing factors and optimize the model.

Results: The study revealed correlations between factors affecting mental health during the pandemic, with interactions observed among some factors. Significant differences in mental health status were found among different groups of college students based on their information-sharing habits through apps and engagement in thesis research. Multiple regression analysis indicated that conducting academic research related to COVID-19 significantly increased the psychological stress of college students during the pandemic ( p = 0.043). Among all mitigation measures, playing games demonstrated significant effectiveness in model analysis ( p = 0.047). The optimization of the model showed that the multiple regression model considering the interaction of factors was more effective.

Conclusion: Our research identifies crucial factors influencing the mental health of college students and investigates the mental health status of various student groups. We recommend that educational institutions adopt proactive strategies and a multifaceted approach to support the mental health of college students and address potential issues that may arise.

1 Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic, first identified in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, subsequently spread globally, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Recognized for its high transmissibility and various health impacts, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared it a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In response, governments and public health institutions worldwide implemented various measures to contain the virus and safeguard public health.

During this period, the disease not only posed a great threat to physical health but also imposed a considerable psychological burden. As noted by Hossain et al. ( 1 ) in their review, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the emergence of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, anger, emotional disturbances, and post-traumatic stress, reflecting factors related to mental health problems like age, gender, residence, and coping strategies. This underscores the necessity of implementing mental health interventions for the population. As a specific group, college students’ mental health issues are considered a crucial public health concern. Stallman’s ( 2 ) research mentioned that the prevalence of mental health problems among college students is significantly higher than in the general population, with major contributing factors including employment status and economic pressures. During the pandemic, changes in the employment environment and social status, along with online learning, isolation, and financial difficulties, may exacerbate existing mental health issues among college students. For instance, Ghazawy et al. ( 3 ) ER’s survey on Egyptian college students’ mental health found that 70.4% of students suffered from depression, 53.6% from anxiety, and 47.8% experienced high levels of stress. A study on perceived stress in Turkey indicated that more than half of the students met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety (52%) and depression (63%) ( 4 ).

Several studies have analyzed factors related to college students’ mental health problems. Sujarwoto et al. ( 5 ) and Nguyen-Feng et al. ( 6 ) found that increased use of social media by college students heightened their psychological vulnerability, leading to depressive states. Ochnik et al. ( 7 ) discussed the differences in mental health issues among college students based on gender, while Sunna’s research ( 8 ) showed that female students faced more severe mental health problems than male students, possibly due to higher levels of perceived stress ( 9 ). During the pandemic, various sources contributed to the widespread mental health issues among college students. Son et al.’s ( 10 ) interviews revealed that the main stressors causing symptoms like depression and anxiety included concerns about personal and family health, sleep disorders, and reduced social interactions. Chen and Lucock’s ( 11 ) study in Northern England identified decreased levels of exercise and lifestyle changes as the main causes of student depression. Fila-Witecka et al. ( 12 ) also emphasized the impact of lifestyle changes on college students’ mental health.

In China, the spread of COVID-19 can be divided into two phases: the first phase, from the outbreak at the end of 2019 to the end of 2022, where large-scale infections did not occur domestically due to relatively stricter management measures compared to abroad; and the second phase, from the change in pandemic policies in December 2022 to the present, where the strictness of management measures has been reduced, leading to the widespread transmission of COVID-19 within the country and an increase in the complexity of mental health issues. In the first phase, Sun et al. ( 13 ) and Yu’s et al. ( 14 ) cross-sectional survey found that lack of social support and stigmatization were the main sources of mental health problems, while Ma et al. ( 15 ) used the Event Impact Scale-6 and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to identify concerns about family and friends’ infections, media coverage, and low social support as the main influencing factors. Jiang ( 16 ) posited that insufficient understanding of COVID-19 and the perception of the virus’s risks impacted their mental health. In the second phase, Song et al. ( 17 ) explored the relationship between academic performance and mental health status after lifting restrictions, indicating that college students’ mental health continued to be affected by COVID-19 during this phase. Deng et al. ( 18 ) examined the relationship between internet addiction and mental health issues among college students after the lifting of restrictions, highlighting the need for establishing corresponding social intervention measures.

It is evident that the mental health issues of Chinese college students during the first phase were influenced by various factors, including the level of social support, concerns for others, understanding of COVID-19, and academic performance. However, in the second phase, after the lifting of restrictions, existing research has the following shortcomings in facing the more complex mental health issues of college students:

(1) The exploration of factors influencing mental health is relatively singular;

(2) While the importance of mitigation measures and social support is highlighted, there is a lack of focus on what specific mitigation measures should be taken by college students facing mental health issues.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has been a lack of research focusing on the role of mitigation measures and specific recommendations from schools in the context of mental health issues among Chinese college students. Therefore, this study employs a cross-sectional survey method to collect online questionnaires, aiming to identify the most critical factors influencing college students’ mental health, understand the mitigation measures they adopt, determine the most effective ways of alleviating these issues, and provide concrete suggestions for schools to improve the mental well-being of their students.

Our research study, aimed at evaluating the mental health status of a cohort of Chinese college students, was conducted using “WenJuanxing,” a leading questionnaire software in China. The investigation was carried out over a month-long period through meticulously designed questionnaires, the questionnaire was completed by collecting online from students of Central South University (CSU). For the acquired data, we performed correlation, difference, and multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS 26.0 ( 19 ).

2.1 Questionnaire design

2.1.1 personal information.

In our research, we gathered personal information such as gender (male and female), academic year, and place of origin. We divided the academic year into six categories: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, master’s students, and doctoral students. The origin of the students was classified based on the official ranking of Chinese cities, providing insights into potential regional differences in mental health status ( 20 , 21 ).

2.1.2 Attention on COVID-19

We developed a comprehensive questionnaire to ascertain participants’ attention to the epidemic, including their sources of information ( 22 ), duration and breadth of attention, and concern about its societal impact. Popular information sources like news reports, public notifications, and app shares were included. The duration of attention was assessed with a single-choice question, ranging from less than 3 h to over 24 h per week. The focus of attention was divided into various aspects, such as the virus’s infectiousness, fatality rate, long-term effects, and potential for mutation ( 23 ). Social impact concerns covered medical care, employment conditions, etc. Apart from duration, all questions were multiple-choice with an “other” option for unspecified concerns.

2.1.3 Mental health status

Participants’ mental health during the epidemic was assessed using a custom 20-question scale based on the Symptom Checklist-90 ( 22 ) (SCL-90) depression scale. Responses ranged from “very good agreement” to “very bad agreement,” scored from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating better mental health status. The SCL-90 has been effective in assessing depression and anxiety symptoms in Chinese cohorts.

2.1.4 Measures and recommendations

We surveyed participants about their methods of mitigating adverse ( 24 ) mental health conditions, assessing both employed methods and their recommendations, such as talking, exercising, sleeping, eating, etc. Participants rated these approaches on a Likert scale from 1 (completely ineffective) to 5 (very effective). We also solicited suggestions for ways schools could aid in alleviating psychological conditions ( 25 ).

2.2 Investigation procedure

This study was conducted during an epidemic outbreak when most college students in China were in home quarantine. Data was collected via an online survey completed by 1,444 students from a specific college at a certain university, conducted over a 10-day period. With assistance from college counselors, we distributed the survey via web links. Of the 1,445 responses, 1,309 were valid, resulting in a 91% effective response rate. The Ethics Committee of Central South University approved this study, conducted via an anonymous online survey.

2.3 Statistical analysis

We statistically analyzed the data procured from the questionnaire. Preliminary evaluation of data normality revealed that both mental health status scores and mental health levels displayed a non-normal distribution.

Firstly, we conducted a correlation analysis ( 26 ) among variables comprising sociodemographic characteristics, levels of attention, and measures to alleviate adverse psychological conditions. This exercise yielded a network of variable correlations.

Secondly, we conducted descriptive statistics to determine the proportion of various groups ( 27 ) and compute the mean mental health scores per group. We also utilized a non-parametric test to investigate the disparities in mental health scores among different groups. Factors under consideration included gender, age, place of origin, and duration of concern. Moreover, we evaluated differences based on the choice of various sources and content of virus-related concern, perceived social influence, and chosen methods of mitigation.

Lastly, we sought to investigate the influence of each variable on mental health status scores via a three-step multiple linear regression analysis ( 28 , 29 ). The initial step involved the analysis of all potential influencing variables and identification of significantly impacting factors. During the construction of the multiple linear regression model (Model 1), we incorporated four interaction variables: interaction among channels of concern, content of concern about the virus and its social impact, measures to mitigate poor mental health conditions, and demographic variables.

In the second step, we retained significant variables from the first step into Model 2. In the final step, to verify the interaction term’s impact on the model and its significance on mental health status scores, we incorporated the previously mentioned four interaction variables into Model 2 for analysis.

The linear regression analysis results included the unstandardized coefficient B values, standard deviation (SD), 95% confidence interval (CI), standardized coefficient beta, and significance result p of the variables. ANOVA was employed for model comparison, aiding in the determination of the interaction term effect. All regression analyses adhered to the assumptions concerning the distribution of the variables ( 30 ).

3.1 Correlation statistics

Figure 1 displays the results of our correlation analysis between variables, with significant correlations ( p  < 0.05) between several variables. The duration that participants dedicated to infectious disease information was significantly associated with the breadth of concern ( p  < 0.01). Additionally, the nature of participants’ concern about the virus showed a significant correlation with age, gender, breadth and length of concern ( p  < 0.05, p  < 0.01). The perceived social impact of the virus correlated strongly with both the breadth of concern and the specific content of concern about the virus ( p  < 0.01). Furthermore, the strategies employed by participants to mitigate adverse mental health conditions showed a strong correlation with their grade and all concern variables ( p  < 0.01). Lastly, the efficacy of these mitigation measures demonstrated a significant correlation with the mitigation methods employed ( p  < 0.01).

Figure 1 . Diagram of Pearson’s correlation coefficient among variables.

3.2 Descriptive and differential statistics

Our analysis was based on 1,309 validated questionnaires. The mean of the mental health scores of all participants was 61.980. Table 1 presents the distribution of participants according to gender, academic level, and place of origin, along with the corresponding mean mental health scores for each group. The table also reveals no significant differences among various sociodemographic groups.

Table 1 . Information of participants with different average mental health scores.

Table 2 presents the distribution and mean values of participants’ sources, durations, epidemic-related content, and social implications of their concerns. News reports were the predominant source of concern for the majority of participants (92.1%), while a smaller group (12.5%) turned to academic research. Many participants (87.2%) spent less than 3 h weekly focusing on epidemic concerns. Regarding concerns specific to the epidemic, post-infection sequelae and infectivity were major issues for 89.4 and 80.4% of participants, respectively. In terms of the epidemic’s social implications, healthcare concerns were foremost (86.6%), followed by industry changes (74.3%) and employment pressures (70.4%). Statistically significant differences were found in mental health scores among various subgroups. For example, those who followed news through app-sharing ( p  = 0.03) and academic research ( p  = 0.002) showed notable differences. Significant disparities were also observed in concerns related to the epidemic’s mortality rate ( p  = 0.025), and social implications like industry changes ( p  = 0.001) and employment pressures ( p  = 0.007).

Table 2 . Attention of participants with different average mental health scores.

Table 3 illustrates the various mitigation strategies adopted by participants, the effectiveness of these strategies, and their mean values. The most commonly employed strategy was sleeping (79.2%), and a majority of participants (94.3%) reported some level of emotional mitigation from their chosen methods. The results revealed significant variations in mental health scores among groups choosing to talking and sharing ( p  = 0.009), eat ( p  = 0.001), study ( p  = 0.024), recreate outdoors ( p  = 0.023), listen to music ( p  = 0.049), and watch movies ( p  = 0.028) as their mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the perceived effectiveness of these strategies showed highly significant intergroup variability ( p  = 0.005).

Table 3 . Mitigation of participants with different average mental health scores.

Our research uncovered an intriguing observation: participants opting for various mitigations tended to have poorer mental health. This trend might be attributed to the likelihood that individuals already experiencing mental health issues were more inclined to choose these mitigations. To substantiate this hypothesis, we analyzed the correlation between the number of mitigations selected and participants’ average mental health scores, as depicted in Figure 2 .

Figure 2 . Proportion of participants with different numbers of mitigation measures and mental health scores.

We observed that participants who did not adopt any mitigation measures reported the highest average mental health scores. Interestingly, there was a discernible pattern: as the number of mitigations chosen by a participant increased, their average mental health scores correspondingly declined. Utilizing a non-parametric test, we established that the differences across these groups were statistically significant ( p = 0.042), thus confirming our initial hypothesis.

3.3 Multiple linear regression analysis

Table 4 presents the analysis results of the multiple linear regression model (Model 1), which encompasses all potential variables and interaction terms. As determined by the p -values, four variables significantly impacted mental health scores: the focus on thesis research related to infectious diseases ( p  = 0.043), the attention given to additional aspects of the infectious disease virus ( p  = 0.047), the consideration of other social impacts resulting from the infectious disease ( p  = 0.019), and the utilization of gaming as a mitigation strategy for poor mental health ( p  = 0.047).

Table 4 . Predictors of mental health status of Model 1.

Table 5 illustrates the multiple linear regression results for Model 2, which was derived from significant factors, and Model 3, which incorporated the interaction terms. In Model 2, the focus on dissertation research related to infectious diseases emerged as a significant determinant of mental health status ( p  = 0.002). The addition of interaction terms in Model 3 expanded the number of variables with significant effects. Interestingly, Model 3 ( R 2  = 0.017, F  = 4.026) exhibited superior performance over Model 2 ( R 2  = 0.012, F  = 2.812), underscoring the pivotal role of interaction terms in enhancing the multiple linear regression model. However, these interaction terms did not yield a significant influence on the cumulative mental health score.

Table 5 . Predictors of mental health status of Model 2 and Model 3.

4 Discussion

To our knowledge, this cross-sectional study aligns with past research conducted both in China and globally, which explored the mental health status of college students during infectious disease pandemics. Our research advances previous work by specifically examining mental health status within the context of such pandemics, while conducting comprehensive analyses (correlation, differentiation, and significance) on potential contributing factors to poor mental health. These analyses led to the identification of significant determinants contributing to mental health status and allowed us to explore the influence of variable interactions on the results.

In terms of variable correlations ( 26 ), we observed differing relationships (positive versus negative correlations) between different pairs of variables. Our analysis indicated a distinct correlation between participant concerns during the epidemic period. For instance, the length and breadth of concern correlated, suggesting that the number of channels used by participants to follow infectious disease information influenced the duration of concern; more channels were associated with longer periods of attention. As the breadth of attention increased, so did the focus on the virus itself and its societal impact. This is likely due to the fact that broader attention enables the absorption of more information.

The correlation analysis showed that: participants’ concern for the virus itself was positively correlated with gender, and Kecojevic et al. ( 9 ) study showed that females showed more concern for COVID-19 during the pandemic period, confirming the inference that higher levels of concern also led to poorer mental health, which is consistent with Xiong’s findings ( 31 ). And the number of mitigations was negatively correlated with grade level. It may be because students in higher grades need to devote more time to their studies or employment, resulting in a more homogenous choice of mitigation, as Ravindra Kumar mentioned in his study that academic stress was significantly higher in higher grades than in lower grades ( 32 ). Interestingly, we found that participants’ concern about COVID-19 was positively correlated with the number of mitigations taken, which may be due to the fact that the number of mitigations taken by the participants increased with the level of concern. This result can be explained by the fact that as the level of attention increases, participants’ knowledge of relevant information increases, leading to an unhealthy mental state and measures must be taken to alleviate it ( 33 ).

Our analysis notably highlighted inter-group differences, focusing on areas where significant disparities were found. The results indicated that participants who accessed information through app sharing had significantly lower mean mental health scores than those who did not use this measure. This finding aligns with Gao et al. ( 34 ) and Freiling’s et al. ( 35 ) study and further supports the impact of social media use on mental health, as greater exposure to relevant information was associated with poorer mental health status. Additionally, there were highly significant differences in mental health between participants who engaged in academic research and those who did not. Consistent with Luo et al.’s ( 36 ) study, individuals involved in COVID-19 research (e.g., healthcare workers) exhibited worse psychological states compared to the general population. For university students, academic research led to a deeper understanding of COVID-19, resulting in increased anxiety and fear.

Regarding concerns about different aspects of the virus, participants who were more worried about the lethality of the virus demonstrated poorer mental health ( 37 ). This concern may have intensified their psychiatric issues, leading to heightened fear and worry. In terms of social impact, there was a significant difference between participants who were concerned about changes in the industry and employment pressures and those who were not. Given that the participants in this study were college students, who already had some concerns about employment ( 10 ), the pandemic further exacerbated their anxiety.

The outcomes from the multiple linear regression underscored the significance of different variables. The incorporation of interaction terms in the model recognized that potential interactions between the variables, as established in the questionnaire, could be influential. These interactions were noteworthy in the regression analysis, thereby necessitating their inclusion ( 13 ).

In Model 1, four pivotal variables had a substantial effect on mental health scores. The participants’ engagement in thesis research was especially impactful, given its academic credibility, which offered a comprehensive understanding of the virus, thereby influencing mental health. Similarly, the participants’ concerns about the virus and its societal implications significantly affected mental health, with “other” content, such as “whether school resumed normally,” also having a strong influence. Interestingly, the act of playing games to alleviate psychological distress showed a notable positive effect on mental health scores. The results of Model 2 further emphasized the substantial effect of thesis research on mental health scores. Among the four significant factors in this model, the impact of thesis research was the most profound, altering the participants’ subjective perceptions through increased understanding.

In order to evaluate the impact of interaction terms, Model 3 was developed by adding four interaction terms to Model 2. Model 3 outperformed Model 2, as the inclusion of interaction terms improved the model’s predictive accuracy for mental health score outcomes. Therefore, when exploring the correlation between each influencing factor and mental health problems, attention should also be paid to the interaction between each influencing factor.

Besides the aforementioned analysis, the survey data incorporated participants’ recommendations on actions universities could undertake. Over half of the respondents advocated for more extracurricular activities and proactive student mental health check-ins by the universities. These findings indicated a positive student response toward such initiatives, coupled with a desire for universities to take a more active role in monitoring their mental health and providing support. This gives crucial insight into the steps universities should consider in the face of similar epidemic situations in the future ( 3 ).

5 Conclusion

In summary, this study contributes to the exploration of mental health issues among Chinese college students during the pandemic. Firstly, we examined the impact of multiple factors on mental health. The significant effect of thesis research on mental health highlights the relationship between awareness of the virus and mental well-being. Secondly, we investigated the various mitigation measures college students employ to address psychological challenges, finding that gaming is the most effective in alleviating mental health concerns. We also gathered students’ suggestions for the school, providing insights for the formulation of corresponding auxiliary intervention measures. These findings not only enhance our understanding of the complex issue of college students’ mental health but also have practical significance in guiding schools to adopt strategies to address potential problems.

However, our study has limitations. The use of the “Wen Juanxing” methodology, prevalent in China, and the focus on Central South University students may limit the generalizability of our findings. Additionally, participants’ responses might be influenced by their educational backgrounds or perceptions of mental health, potentially leading to an overly positive self-assessment of their mental state, which may not accurately represent the broader psychological condition of college students.

Based on our research results, we advocate for the adoption of proactive strategies, not only recognizing the role of gaming in addressing college students’ mental health problems but also actively promoting virus-related knowledge to reduce students’ panic to a certain extent. Moreover, schools should conduct more social activities and psychological assessments to address potential issues that may arise.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The Ethics Committee of Central South University approved this study (No. 202107008). Written informed consent from the participants was not required to participate in this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.

Author contributions

XS: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft. DH: Conceptualization, Data curation, Methodology, Writing – original draft. JZ: Data curation, Writing – original draft. JF: Data curation, Writing – original draft. PN: Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft. YP: Funding acquisition, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank staff of the School of Traffic & Transportation Engineering at Central South University for their help in collecting the data.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords: COVID-19, mental health, college students, social media, mitigation measures

Citation: Song X, Han D, Zhang J, Fan J, Ning P and Peng Y (2024) Study on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Chinese college students: a cross-sectional analysis. Front. Public Health . 12:1340642. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1340642

Received: 18 November 2023; Accepted: 19 March 2024; Published: 15 April 2024.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2024 Song, Han, Zhang, Fan, Ning and Peng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Yong Peng, [email protected]

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.