Objective: Cannabis use in college students has increased over time and is linked to negative consequences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many students experienced greater stress, which could heighten cannabis use and related consequences. This study was designed to clarify motivations for cannabis use that may link pandemic-related stressors to…

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked with caloric overeating and weight gain. We employed a mediation analysis to determine whether pandemic-associated overeating was a direct effect of COVID-19-related anxiety (affect regulation theory) or mediated by a coping mechanism of escape eating (escape theory). A diverse pool of college…

Objective: To examine associations among college students' worry about COVID-19, use of healthy and unhealthy coping techniques, and sleep-related impairment. Participants: The sample consisted of 366 undergraduate students (M[subscript age] =19.48 ± 1.76 years, 63.4% women; 62.6% college freshman). Methods: University students completed a series…

Objective: Drinking more and drinking to cope increase undergraduates' likelihood of experiencing alcohol-related problems (ARP; e.g., driving intoxicated). In accordance with stress-coping models of addiction, anxiety about COVID-19 may motivate undergraduates to drink to cope, leading them to experience more ARP. However, this hypothesis has not…

Objective: This research examined how stressors experienced by college students within the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with their reports of psychological distress, mindfulness, and coping strategies. Participants: Students attending 11 universities in the U.S. (N = 464, M age = 20.72, SD = 3.90, 91% female, 61% White, and…

Objective: The current study aims to compare college adjustment and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on first-year students with and without ADHD. Participants: Two cohorts (pre-pandemic, during the pandemic) of first-year, undergraduate college students (N = 3,006; M[subscript age]=18.32) were recruited from a multisite research consortium…

Studies have shown that those high in anxiety were at increased risk for alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tension reduction theory points to anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a potential risk factor. Drinking to cope may further increase this risk. During the pandemic, those high in AS may have experienced increased stress and drank to cope,…

Objective: This study investigated differences in stress, anxiety, and social support between collegiate student-athletes and nonathletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: College students enrolled at a NCAA Division III private liberal arts college in the Midwest. Methods: Participants (n = 58) completed a series of surveys each month…

Objective: To assess mental health in US undergraduates during COVID-19; to identify key pandemic-related stressors, perceived control, and coping and their associations with mental health. Participants: Data collected from a sample of undergraduates in April 2020 (N = 312) were compared to data collected in Spring 2017 (N = 362). Methods: Online…

Objective: This study examines the effects of a scalable psychoeducation intervention to improve students' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: In a sample of racially diverse undergraduates from a highly selective university (N = 66), students in the control group (mostly women) participated in courses as usual and students…

Objective: To explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 in university affiliates to inform future COVID-19 policies and practices. Participants: Undergraduate students, graduate students and university employees at a large public university. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups and interviews were conducted between…

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted people's lives around the world, including college students. This cross-sectional study aimed to 1) describe psychological distress, coping, and expectancies of undergraduates during COVID-19 "stay-at-home" orders and 2) examine the associations among these variables. Participants and…

Objective: To examine the role of COVID-19-specific stressful life events (SLE) in predicting depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction, and if personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism), and coping styles (problem-focused coping and avoidance coping) moderated these relations. Participants: Data were collected from 371 college students…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to delineate the moderating roles of negative experiences related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the association between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms and anxiety symptoms and internalizing behaviors during Fall 2020. Method: Participants were 200 college students. Using a…

This study examined inter- and intra-person level associations between stress and overwhelm and adaptive coping strategies used by college students during COVID-19. Participants were 55 college students (M[subscript age] = 23.31, SD = 4.49; 87% White, 85% Female), who completed a 21-day daily diary study. The common coping strategies endorsed were…