Education is protective against depressive symptoms in the context of COVID-19.

Objective: This study assessed current education stage (ie, undergraduate, graduate) as protective against depressive symptoms among a low socioeconomic status (SES) student population in a public university, in the context of COVID-19-related stressors. Participants: Participants were students at The City University of New York (CUNY) during the Spring 2020. Methods: Demographic data, symptom severity, and current educational stage were collected via an online university-wide survey between April 8, 2020 and May 2, 2020. Results: The prevalence of probable depression was lower amongst persons who reported being currently in a more advanced educational stage compared to people currently in a lower educational stage. COVID-19-related stressor exposure was the largest predictor of depressive symptoms, followed by demographics and current education stage. Conclusions: Current education stage is related to depressive symptoms during COVID-19. Pandemic-related educational disruptions and shifts to remote learning may limit educational achievement for low-SES student populations creating further threats to these students’ health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]