Factors Associated with Resilience among MSW Students in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 continues to affect the general population, and its impact on MSW students is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to examine resilience, attachment, and other mental health constructs among MSW students during COVID-19. U.S. MSW program directors were emailed the electronic surveys to distribute to their MSW students. Authors evaluated the bivariate relationship between the variables and conducted a multiple hierarchical regression predicting resilience. The findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of resilience have lower levels of depression and PTSD. Finally, attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety, and self-efficacy were statistically significant predictors of resilience in the hierarchical regression. This study adds to the literature on how MSW students have been impacted by COVID-19 stressors and the role resilience, self-efficacy, and attachment styles have in terms of mental health outcomes during the pandemic. These results are important when considering interventions to assist MSW students during and after the pandemic, especially regarding stress reduction and student success.