Abstract
Rates of anxiety among college students have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and have remained high (Elharake et al., 2023), placing students at risk for diminished academic performance, depression, and academic burnout (Rassaby et al., 2022). The goal of this study was to examine possible predictors of anxiety in a diverse group of undergraduate students post-pandemic, with the goal of informing future preventive intervention efforts. Maladaptive perfectionism, passive procrastination, active procrastination, cognitive flexibility, and social well-being were assessed as potential predictors of state and trait anxiety in a sample of 297 currently enrolled college students. Results showed that perfectionism and passive procrastination were the strongest predictors of anxiety; cognitive flexibility and social well-being were also significant correlates. These results suggest that anxiety in college students could be ameliorated by: (1) reducing the unrealistic expectations that often accompany perfectionism; (2) preventing students from developing habits of academic procrastination; (3) increasing students’ ability to respond flexibly to changing circumstances; and (4) helping students develop strategies to approach their social world more positively.
Recommended Citation
Hayes, Lisa J.; Bays, R. Brooke; Lashley, Piper; Kherani, Nia; and Swanson, Alex
(2024)
"Post-Pandemic Predictors of Anxiety in College Students,"
Journal of Applied Disciplines: Vol. 1:
Iss.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://opus.govst.edu/jad/vol1/iss2/1
Final Edited Version