Empirically Derived Psychological Profiles of College Students: Differential Associations With COVID-19 Impact and Social Adjustment

Karen P Kochel; Catherine L Bagwell; Ross W Abrash

doi:10.1177/21676968221119946

Empirically Derived Psychological Profiles of College Students: Differential Associations With COVID-19 Impact and Social Adjustment

Emerg Adulthood. 2022 Oct;10(5):1299-1311. doi: 10.1177/21676968221119946.

Authors

Karen P Kochel¹, Catherine L Bagwell², Ross W Abrash¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, USA.
² Department of Psychology, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA, USA.

Abstract

Using latent profile analysis, we derived psychological profiles of undergraduates during the pandemic and investigated profiles' differential associations with COVID-19 impact and social adjustment. Participants (N = 517) completed measures of depression, loneliness, and anxiety, and two indices of social adjustment: friendship support and social connectedness. We identified Severe, Moderate, and Mild symptom profiles. Higher COVID-19 impact was associated with increased odds of belonging to the Severe versus Moderate and Mild profiles, and the Moderate versus Mild profile. On social adjustment, the Mild profile outscored the Moderate profile, which outscored the Severe profile. Overall, findings imply that individuals who perceive high levels of COVID-19 impact are especially likely to belong to a profile characterized by severe psychological symptoms and that membership in this profile is associated with social maladjustment.

Keywords: COVID-19; college; latent profile analysis; psychological adjustment; social adjustment.