Exploring Mental Wellbeing in the Pre-and Post-Pandemic Era: Perspectives of Midwestern College Students, Faculty, and Administrators

Background and purpose: COVID-19 impacted virtually all sectors, including higher education. Colleges gradually began re-opening in the fall of 2020, instituting many public health compliance protocols, such as hybrid classes, which are still in effect today. As these protocols are new, little is known about how students, faculty, and administrators deal with the transition and its impacts on their mental well-being. There is limited research that examined the college communities’ perceptions and experiences across the three time periods (before, during, and after the pandemic) and that provided a thorough and nuanced understanding of how the pandemic has impacted college students, faculty, and administrators’ mental well-being over time. Hence, this study explores the perceptions and experiences of college students, faculty, and administrators in a Mid-Western university on mental well-being pre-and-post COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A qualitative design with a descriptive approach was used to guide the study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a total of 20 participants from the College of Health Sciences: students (n=10), faculty (n=5), and administrators (n=5). The inclusion criteria for students were: students enrolled (students) and employed (faculty and administrators) in the college of health sciences at the university during the COVID-19 lockdown/school closure (March 2020-May 2021) and after the lockdown (after May 2020). Interviews were conducted in person and via Zoom, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken using a comprehensive codebook and Nvivo14 software.

Results: The findings were organized under a) pre-pandemic, b) during the pandemic, and c) post-pandemic (after the reopening of the university) experiences. Views on pre-pandemic demonstrated that in-person learning is better for mental well-being, having a structure reduces stress, and the “real” college experience positively impacts mental well-being. The pandemic period was characterized as overwhelming and stressful, complex, and stressful with mixed spaces of work and life, personal and family conditions as influencers of mental well-being, dominated by feelings of isolation, lack of motivation, and anxiety. The post-pandemic period was filled with mixed feelings of excitement and the burden of readjustment. The re-opening of campus did not mean coming back to the pre-pandemic state; feelings of anxiety and trauma from the pandemic days continued. The period was marked by declined support that created a mental burden, but also important lessons were learned on how to maintain mental well-being.

Conclusion and implications: The findings underscore the importance of structured, in-person interactions for positive mental health outcomes and highlight the significant impact of pandemic-induced stressors. These insights necessitate the implementation of robust, flexible, and holistic mental health policies and interventions in higher education settings. As colleges navigate the post-pandemic landscape, it is imperative to maintain a focus on mental wellness, integrating preventive measures and crisis response strategies. Future studies should focus on generating more evidence on post-pandemic mental health and adopting flexibility in providing services in universities.