Nov. 30 (UPI) -- Fully online college courses have become more of a norm since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the negative effects on student mental health are significant, according to a new report.
A pool of 59,250 full-time undergraduate students who were taking fully online classes were found to experience higher levels of psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. Students were part of four-year higher learning programs and were an average of 21 years old.
The medical journal JAMA Network published the study which looked at the differences in mental health responses based on different delivery methods of college courses including fully online, hybrid and in-person classes. Data came from the American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment III.
"The findings of this study suggest that mental health professionals may wish to consider the association of course delivery models with mental health outcomes when working with college students," the report said.
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