KENT, OH - Results from a study, led by William Lechner and colleagues of KSU, were highlighted in a recent Nature article about mental health and alcohol use.
The impact of the pandemic on college students鈥 mental health and use of alcohol was the focus of the study by KSU researchers Lechner, Deric Kenne, Kimberly Laurene, Sweta Patel, Megan Anderson and Chelsea Grega.
Lechner and colleagues found that university students鈥 mental health has suffered during COVID-19. Healthy ways to cope with anxiety and stress are less accessible with COVID restrictions, correlating with increased alcohol consumption by students, as Lechner mentioned in the Nature article.
鈥淭he pandemic took away a lot of forms of healthy coping,鈥 Lechner says. 鈥淵ou may not be able to go to the gym like you used to, and you certainly can鈥檛 go out and socialize in a healthy way鈥 (Quoted by Chris Woolston in Nature Article).
Lechner also warns that increased use of alcohol may have long-term negative side effects. Because of this, Lechner and colleagues want to highlight the importance of offering mental health programming and support to students, as more mental health support reduces the risk and continuation of unhealthy habits.
According to the researchers, 鈥淭hese findings highlight the need for universities to offer services and programs to students that will minimize risk factors and maximize protective factors in order to reduce or prevent alcohol abuse during the coronavirus pandemic.鈥
Lechner and colleagues plan to continue following this line of research to examine the long-term impact of the pandemic on college students.
两性色午夜 the Researchers:
William Lechner, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at 两性色午夜 University.
Deric Kenne, PhD, is an associate professor in the College of Public Health and works in the Center for Public Policy and the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use at 两性色午夜 University.
Kimberly Laurene, PhD, is an assistant professor in the College of Public Health and works in the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use at 两性色午夜 University.
Megan Anderson, MPH, and Chelsea Grega, MPH, work in the Division of Mental Health and Substance Use at 两性色午夜 University.
Sweta Patel is a graduate student in the College of Public Health at 两性色午夜 University.
Additional Information:
The Nature article:
The study:
两性色午夜 两性色午夜's Department of Psychological Sciences
两性色午夜 两性色午夜's College of Public Health
两性色午夜 the Center for Public Policy and Health