F ive psychology majors are finishing data analysis on several projects relating to coronavirus and worldwide lockdowns that left millions dealing with mental health issues.

The results showed students at Georgia College—like people everywhere—weren’t immune to the fallout of isolation and loneliness.

“Our conclusions were that loneliness increased and the reported overall state of mental health decreased, which corresponds to a strong negative correlation between loneliness and mental health across all stages of the pandemic,” said senior psychology major Emma Kraby of Athens.

“We can only assume mental health will continue to improve,” she said, “but it's not quite to the level it was before.”

Kraby studied COVID anxiety and mental health with fellow researcher Joseph Wenke, a senior psychology major from Roswell. From March 2020 to Oct. 2021, they surveyed 154 of their peers, learning the effects of quarantine, fear and isolation. As lockdowns continued, charts show loneliness going up and mental health coming down.

Wenke took the research further by examining how loneliness can be mediated by personality traits. He looked at screen time and other variables, like whether students had a pet. More screen time correlated with impaired mental health, while having a cat or dog to cuddle helped fight discouragement.

Upperclassmen, whose lives were interrupted by COVID, were more negatively impacted than those entering college after the pandemic died down, Wenke discovered. Social distancing, wearing masks and other restrictions seem to be the new normal for younger students and more-easily accepted.

Contrary to what one would expect—introverts were more negatively impacted than extroverts by isolation.

Things have improved two years later but only a little. Kraby and Wenke were surprised to find loneliness continues to be present in college students.

“It could just be the habits from quarantine—maybe people got used to more screen time and less physical activity. Maybe they’re staying inside more. Or maybe people have gotten used to not having contact with friends,” Wenke said.

“There’s a lot more to be done on that,” he added. “Generally, the results that I've seen show introverts were more negatively impacted by quarantining than extroverts, and so were people who were in college before COVID.”

These results follow similar patterns experienced by the rest of society and campus. Psychology department chair Dr. Lee Gillis said students and faculty in general are dealing with various levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

Psychology majors Maryelle Michael of Roswell, a senior, and Carson Beasley of Woodstock, a junior, are studying COVID from a different angle. They’re examining the role of exercise and how physical exertion improves anxiety levels.

“Pre-pandemic, exercise data was pretty consistent,” Michael said. “But come March 2020, there was a big halt of exercise among adolescents and adults, because we were all in shock. No one knew what to do, essentially, and you couldn't go to the gym.”

Data suggests a reduction in exercise correlates to a reduction in mental health and increased feelings of loneliness. But people soon found creative ways to exercise. They joined online initiatives like TikTok and workout routines on YouTube or Zoom.

Nevertheless, exercise levels—like loneliness and mental health states—are not back up to pre-COVID levels.

“That makes sense,” Beasley said. “Some people are still scared to go out in public or go to the gym and join classes. I think a lot of people underestimate the positive effects physical activity has on mental health. Because COVID has impacted that, we weren't really shocked to see physical activities fall so low.”

The COVID research teams will present their findings at a regional conference at the end of March. Twenty-six psychology students will attend the Southeastern Psychological Association's annual conference, showcasing various topics in addition to COVID, such as:

•    Microaggressions in the classroom
•    Substance abuse in ADHD and bipolar disorders
•    Belonging and wellness of minorities in predominately white institutions
•    Self-injury and suicide among transgender and gender nonconforming college students
•    Stereotypical gender beliefs and harsher disciplinary strategies for male children
•    Effects of lying on memory

Conducting quality research in undergraduate years is invaluable, said Dr. Tsu-Ming Chiang, professor of psychology. Her research students often perform higher than peers in graduate school and jobs after graduation. They find themselves ahead in skills like generating ideas, formulating questions, data collection, analysis and communication.

Beasley said he learned to collaborate in groups, listen to other ideas and interpret information. He’s soaking in as much experience as he can before graduation and hopes to get a job as a professional counselor.

Kraby’s COVID research helped her gain acceptance into the University of Denver’s Master of Counseling Psychology program in Colorado.

“Undergraduate research makes you a competitive applicant for programs like that,” she said, “especially in psychology, where most programs are research-based. Not only conducting the research—but having the opportunity to present it at conference is a really big opportunity.”

“This research not only prepared me for any situation I find myself in as an undergraduate,” she said, “but it's also given me a lot of hands-on experience as I prepare to go to graduate school. I wouldn't feel as confident in my own ability and experience without it.”