Markers of Social and Emotional Health in College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: Research on effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of youth have mostly focused on the occurrence of negative states such as anxiety and depression. The objective of this study was to assess the social and emotional health of university students in India, as influenced by COVID-19 test results and the experience of isolation or quarantine.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in India during July and early August 2021 among university students aged 20-25 years. The Social Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education (SEHS-HE) was used to assess 4 domains: belief in self, belief in others, emotional competence, and engaged living.Results: There were 187 respondents from 78 institutions in 14 of 29 states of India. The sample was 51% male. The mean SEHS-HE scores were approximately 75% of the maximum score in each domain. In multivariable regression analysis, sex, residence with family, and a negative COVID-19 report had little effect on SEHS-HE domains. COVID-19 positivity was associated with significantly lower scores on all domains (P < .01). Isolation/quarantine was associated with significantly or near-significantly higher scores on all domains (P < .01). In all cases, β coefficients and the proportion of the variance explained by the regression were small.Conclusions: Major pandemic-related internal and environmental determinants of SEHS-HE remain to be identified. Strategies to improve the well-being of college students should be directed toward those who have tested positive for the disease. The experience of isolation/quarantine is not pathoplastic.