Mindfulness, coping, and disruptions as predictors of college student distress at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Students completed an online survey about pandemic-related disruptions, depressive symptoms, mindfulness, coping, and demographics.

Results

Students whose families had more financial difficulties reported more disruptions. Depression and avoidant coping were positively correlated with distress, while mindfulness was inversely correlated with distress and depression. Disruptions, family financial status, depressive symptoms, mindfulness, and avoidant coping significantly predicted distress, controlling for university site and student sex, age, race, and ethnicity in multiple regression analyses. Avoidant coping significantly moderated (amplified) the effect of disruptions on distress.

Conclusions

College student well-being can be supported through Campus programming that includes mindfulness practices and alternatives to avoidant strategies for coping with stress.