How the Shift in Learning Environments Affected College Student’s Mental Well-being during the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions to adapt to social distancing and other mandates while keeping operations relatively normal. Educational systems converted their learning environments to be fully remote to decrease the spread of the contagious virus. However, the transition from in-person to virtual learning may have had a negative impact on college students across the United States. Dr. Cindy H. Liu, director of the Developmental Risk and Cultural Resilience Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and her co-authors recently published a study in JAMA Network Open examining the relationship between college students' mental health status and the various learning environments that emerged during the pandemic. Dr. Liu and Dr. Abdelrahman El Tohamy told us more about their research in this Q&A:
Q: What do your study's findings tell us about the relationship between virtual learning and psychological distress among college students?
We found that college students attending classes entirely virtually have reported higher psychological distress compared to students who had a mix of virtual and in-person classes during the spring of 2021. While more research is needed before claims of cause and effect can be made, our findings suggest that there may be more factors educational institutions and policymakers can consider when transitioning college students to virtual classes entirely.
Q: Why did you choose to study the relationship between virtual learning environments and psychological distress among college students? What motivated you to seek these answers?
We reflected upon our own experiences as educators and students during the middle of the pandemic. We decided to focus on college students because they were among the first in the U.S. to relocate from their traditional college residences. Many students transitioned to remote learning arrangements that aren't considered the ordinary educational environment (e.g., living with parents instead of in the dormitory). As a research team involving many college students, we were keenly aware of the potential effect remote learning and isolation from other students would have on their education and training experiences.
Q: How would you like mental health professionals and educational institutions to use your study’s findings?
Mental health professionals should make it a practice to inquire about the day-to-day routine of students and how they engage with professors and peers, beyond just asking how the student is doing or feeling. The responses may provide insight to the provider and the student about how the shifts in their educational routine alter their well-being. Likewise, educational institutions should weigh the costs and benefits of complete remote learning relative to the psychological experience of their students. The importance of in-person experiences may be readily accepted within society because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Q: What recommendations can you provide to professionals within educational institutions that decide the learning environment for their students?
More studies are needed before specific recommendations can be made to professionals who make these decisions. We encourage people in such positions who consider transitioning to an entirely virtual learning environment to think about potential implications on the mental well-being of their college students as part of their discussions.
Q: Was there anything in your study's findings that surprised you? Why was it surprising?
One finding that surprised us was the difference in reported distress was not entirely explained by the difference in time spent socializing, place of residence, or COVID-19 concerns. There appears to be something specific about having a completely virtual learning environment that is associated with higher reported distress.
Considering the convenience of virtual work and learning, we thought that the consistency of having only virtual experiences with school—relative to what we might consider a hybrid form of learning— would be less distressing. It also surprised us to see that this was not the case. We now wonder what the implications might be beyond the educational environment. For instance, many companies are having conversations about the nature of remote-only work, possible work model options, and employee preferences. We think our findings should spur further conversations on how these arrangements may affect psychological well-being.