COVID-19 Stress and Resilience: A Longitudinal Cohort Study of First-Year College Students.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic affected all dimensions of the college experience. Research has explored COVID-19 stress and resilience factors, though this study is generally cross-sectional and lacks pre-pandemic baseline measures. Women and sexual/gender minority (SGM) college students experienced higher levels of COVID-19 stress but the effect on resilience is unknown.

Methods: Analysis of longitudinal survey data on a 2019 cohort of first-year college students attending a large public university in the southeast US (N = 444; average age at baseline 18.9; 67% female). We created a two-factor index of academic- and illness-related COVID-19 stress in June-July 2020 and assessed associations with resilience (as measured by the Brief Resilience Scale, BRS) throughout students' college careers.

Results: Resilience was lowest during students' junior year of college (October 2021) and returned to baseline levels by senior year. Cis women and SGM students experienced higher levels of COVID-19 academic and illness stress than cis men and non-SGM students. Academic and illness COVID-19 stress were associated with lower resilience; academic stress had larger initial negative associations that resolved by senior year, while illness stress had smaller initial negative associations that persisted. Academic and illness stress were more impactful for cis man and cis woman students, respectively. COVID-19 stress was not associated with resilience among SGM students.

Conclusions: COVID-19 illness stress was associated with persistently lower perceived resilience among college students. Associations differed by gender and sexual/gender minority status. Students may benefit from resilience interventions to prepare for future emergencies and improve their well-being.