Abstract

Background: Anxiety and stress among college students have sharply increased over the past two decades. COVID-19 exacerbated the mental health and academic challenges of United States (US) college students, particularly students of color. Objective: To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety, stress and coping of Hispanic/Latine, Asian, and non-Hispanic White (NHW) US college students. Explore students’ academic perceptions as predictors of anxiety and stress. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 855 participants were students attending California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), a large public university in metropolitan Orange County, California, USA. From April to May 2020, participants answered an online survey of anxiety, stress, and coping. Demographic information and academic experiences were also collected online using a researcher-designed questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages summarized categorical data, and associations were analyzed using crosstabs, correlations, and multiple regression. Results: Participants identifying as Hispanic/Latine (n = 449), Asian (n = 169), and non-Hispanic White (NHW; n = 237) indicated difficulty transitioning to remote instruction and low academic engagement post-COVID-19. Over 70% of students reported moderate to high anxiety, while 80+% reported significant stress; these rates were typically higher for Asian and Hispanic/Latine participants than NHW participants. The leading healthy coping activity was exercise; the leading unhealthy coping behavior was alcohol abuse. Academic perceptions negatively predicted anxiety and stress levels. Conclusion: COVID-19 adversely affected the psychological well-being of participants of color. Administrators should address students’ mental health needs and provide culturally sensitive services. Additional remote instruction resources should be provided to these vulnerable students.