Unpacking the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: identifying structural domains

Abstract

Background : The novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a collective crisis that imposed an abrupt and unprecedented impact on college students, as universities were closed with little warning. Paired with the challenges associated with physical distancing (e.g. economic stress, job loss, food insecurity, housing challenges) and the simultaneous need to balance continued and new academic demands, impact will be wide-ranging. It is critical to determine the structure of the impact of this heterogeneous stressor (e.g. health concerns, pandemic worry, financial concerns) for prevention and intervention planning. Objective : Through an existing recruitment pipeline we were in a unique position to study the wide-ranging reach of this pandemic in a cohort of students for whom their university experiences were like no other cohort in history. Method : Data were collected from students who were in their third year of college during the onset of the pandemic; of the N = 1,899 in the cohort who were invited to participate in this COVID-related survey, 897 (47.2%) completed measures of impact between May and July of 2020. Results : A series of confirmatory and exploratory models were fit to examine the structure of the pandemic-related domains. Following estimation of a single-factor model, a correlated five factors model, as well as two second-order factor structures, the five correlated factors (exposure, worry, housing/food instability, social media, substance use) model was found to represent the data most appropriately, while producing an interpretable solution. Conclusions : These measurement model analyses set the stage for future research to examine how these correlated factors impact psychiatric, substance, and academic outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Food and social media: a research stream analysis

“…Use Misuse 7 Kicali et al ( 2021 ) Dusunen Adam 7 Charzynska et al ( 2021 ) Addict. Behav 6 Bountress et al ( 2021 ) Eur. J. Psychotraumatol 5 Kircaburun et al ( 2021 ) Psychiatry Investig 5 Bogolyubova et al ( 2018 ) SAGE Open 5 *Further keywords (sorted by decreasing FL): sensitivity; scale; use; mental; covid-19; event …”

“…Other works in this research stream addressed the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on mental health. Bountress et al ( 2021 ) determined that instead of a single overarching COVID-19 impact, there are discrete impacts of various COVID-related factors. Therefore, they suggest a five-factor COVID model (i.e.…”

Understanding the mental health impacts of COVID-19 through a trauma lens

“…Following estimation of a single-factor model, a correlated five factors model, as well as two second-order factor structures, the five correlated factors (exposure, worry, housing/food instability, social media, substance use) model was found to represent the data most appropriately, while producing an interpretable solution. (Bountress et al, 2021 ) Rossi, R., Socci, V., Talevi, D., Niolu, C., Pacitti, F., Di Marco, A., … & Olff, M. (2021). Trauma-spectrum symptoms among the Italian general population in the time of the COVID-19 outbreak.…”

Internet behavior patterns of adolescents before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic

“…The numbers are still rising. In addition to the physical problems caused by COVID-19, many people are forced to face the challenges of housing, unemployment, and separation due to the non-negligible destruction of social operations, which also have a huge impact on people’s mental health ( 2 , 3 ). Besides, such emergencies increase opportunities and time for young people to use the Internet.…”