As the threat of the pandemic continues, college students across the country are more concerned than ever about their physical and mental health.

Because of the highly contagious omicron variant, more than half of college students say they’re under more stress and anxiety than ever before. In fact, nearly 9 out of 10 declared a mental health crisis on their college campuses. That’s an overwhelming majority of registered students who attend their classes in-person, according to a study recently published by TimelyMD, a telehealth company focusing exclusively on higher education.

The study also found that nearly one-third of all students surveyed said they tested positive for COVID-19 since Thanksgiving, as omicron cases began to spike at the onset of the holiday season.

“When it comes to COVID, there’s a misperception that college students are ‘over it,’ and that’s simply not true. The majority of students are experiencing a continued state of heightened awareness and emotional exhaustion,” said Alan Dennington, M.D., chief medical officer and co-founder of TimelyMD. “Every time it starts to feel like things are getting better, another setback or variant emerges. Students get this hamster wheel feeling of, ‘When is this ever going to end?’”

Some key points from the nearly 1,700 college students surveyed in the nationwide study conducted last month include:

• 88% of students believe a mental health crisis is overwhelming colleges and universities throughout the United States.
• Nearly 70% of students said they are experiencing emotional distress or anxiety due to the pandemic. Nearly three out of four (73%) students say they are feeling the same or even more stressed and anxious than in 2020 - the year the global pandemic began.
• Such stress is more evident among women and non-binary students. Female (76%) and non-binary (81%) students were more likely than male students (55%) to say the pandemic has caused them stress or anxiety. Female (77%) and non-binary students (70%) also reported experiencing the same or more stress/anxiety than they did a year ago versus 66% of male students surveyed.
• More than two years since much of the world shut down, 51% of college students surveyed say they are more concerned with COVID-19. Another 39% said their level of concern about the pandemic has lessened, while 10% said they have never worried about COVID-19.
• Of all the variants to date, omicron appears to be spreading more quickly among the college student population. With more than 4 in 10 students (42%) saying they have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, nearly two-thirds of these positive tests (65%) have come since Thanksgiving.

“While I believe that today’s college students will eventually develop remarkable resilience as a result of all they have endured throughout the pandemic, right now they are still very much concerned about the impact on their education, social life, and health,” Dennington said.

Below is a breakdown as to how students throughout the U.S. are dealing with COVID-19 as their respective college campuses endure their fifth semester amidst the pandemic:

• Regarding requirements for vaccinations and boosters: 76% of students said they are attending on-campus classes at a school where COVID-19 boosters are mandatory. Of these students, 64% said they have received or intent on getting a booster shot when the requirement was mandated. Another 22% said getting the booster  was directly attributed to the campus mandate. Also at schools where boosters are required, 6% admitted to turning in a fake vaccine card and another 5% asked for an exemption.
• Online vs. in-person learning: Slightly more than a quarter (27%) said their schools are starting the semester online. A majority of these students (58%) agreed with the decision while a quarter (24%) opposed it. Nearly one-fifth (18%) said students should get to choose between attending classes remotely or in person.
• Support services: Fewer than 20% believed their campuses were providing all of the resources they needed to support them during the pandemic. Consistent with previous surveys, nearly half of students (48%) said the best way their campuses can support them would be to provide more virtual health and mental health services. Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they plan to seek out emotional support from friends, family or professionals to manage their stress during the spring semester.

“As COVID becomes endemic and students find new ways to live with the virus, their expectations are changing,” Dennington said. “Students have grown increasingly comfortable and accustomed to remote and hybrid options for classes and student services.”