34th Annual Student Research Conference
The Relationship of Online Learning and Mental Health
Kaitlyn Springate
Dr. Katie Judd, Faculty Mentor
Previous research has shown a relationship between online learning and higher anxiety as well as lower satisfaction. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many classes to be moved online that would not normally be delivered in this fashion. In the present study, the relationship between online learning and mental health was explored. We hypothesized that participants with more online credit hours, asynchronous online credit hours, and unplanned online credit hours would score higher on mental health scales. Participants answered various questions regarding their online classes. Participants then reported their level of anxiety using the GAD-7 scale and their level of depression using the PHQ-8. There was no main effect for the amount of online credit hours or asynchronous online credit hours; however, a significant main effect for unplanned online credit hours was found. This indicates that it could be harmful to students' mental health to take more classes online than they initially anticipated. Further research may benefit from a larger, more diverse sample size.
Keywords: Online Learning, Mental Health, COVID-19, anxiety, depression
Topic(s):Psychology
Statistics
Presentation Type: Asynchronous Virtual Oral Presentation
Session: 18-3
Location: https://flipgrid.com/fc0c5b54
Time: 0:00