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

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Karen P Kochel, University of Richmond; Catherine Bagwell, Emory University; Ross W Abrash, University of Richmond
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-10-01
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood and SAGE Publishing
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/21676968221119946
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Emerging Adulthood
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 1299
• End Page: 1311
• Grant/Funding Information: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
• Keywords: COVID-19; latent profile analysis; psychological adjustment; social adjustment; college
• Research Categories: Psychology, General

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.