Indicators of student well-being in Canadian undergraduates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

We measured mental distress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism, life satisfaction, and stress in a Canadian sample of undergraduates both before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared (Winter 2019 and Winter 2020) and also opportunistically after the implementation of social restrictions and lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Fall 2020). In this combined sample of 1,049 Canadian students, we found that compared to before the pandemic, undergraduates reported more perceived stress and higher levels of anxiety/insomnia after pandemic-related disruptions began. Importantly, however, comparing measures collected before and during the pandemic, we found no significant differences in reports of self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism, and life satisfaction, and even a significant pandemic-related improvement in somatic symptoms of psychological distress and social dysfunction. Finally, in line with our original prepandemic aims of the study, we replicated prior findings showing that mental distress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, optimism, and life satisfaction predict significant variance in perceived stress within our Canadian sample. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)