The role of Psychological Flexibility; the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic for mental health outcomes among college students in Ireland

Aims: The current study investigated the impact of the COVD-19 Pandemic on mental health outcomes among third level students within Ireland. The study investigated the relationship between psychological flexibility, mental health and well-being, age and COVID-19 stress. The study investigated if psychological flexibility and COVID-19 stress were predictors of mental health outcomes while also investigating if students differed by gender and year of college with their COVID-19 stress and mental health outcomes. Method: An online questionnaire was administered to participants (n = 90) via social media and required participants to answer four questionnaires: The Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT), The Covid-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ), The Warwick- Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMBWS), and The Everyday Psychological Inflexibility Checklist (EPIC). Results: In contrast with previous research, results indicated that psychological flexibility strongly predicted adverse mental health and well-being outcomes. Results also indicated that students did not differ by year of college and gender in relation to their mental health and well-being or COVID-19 stress. Conclusion: Findings from the current study offer a greater understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic experience among the general population of third-level students in Ireland. Relationships between COVID-19 stress and adverse mental wellbeing indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively impacted mental health. This study highlights the importance of research among college students during these challenging times, and future research should investigate the discrepancies found in the current study in contrast to previous literature