Mitigating Emotional Exhaustion Among College Students During COVID-19: The Role of Crisis Communication, Social Support, and Coping
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting effects on students’ mental health, including issues related to social isolation and reduced interaction with peers and advisors. However, there remains a research gap in understanding how institutional communication and individual coping mechanisms affect student emotional exhaustion in such contexts. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of macro-organizational factors, such as the quality of university crisis communication, and micro-organizational factors, including social support and coping strategies, on emotional exhaustion among college students. We collected survey data from 314 participants using Prolific Academic and analyzed it with structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that perceived uncertainties mediate the relationship between crisis communication quality and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, social support moderates how perceived uncertainties affect the quality of crisis communication while coping strategies moderate the relationship between perceived uncertainties and emotional exhaustion. These findings provide valuable insights into improving institutional support and enhancing student well-being during and after crises. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Source: SAGE Open
Authors: James Ndone, Mary Kiura
Institutions: Coastal Carolina University, Purdue University Fort Wayne
Language: English
Topic: Student Stress and Coping
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,600
OpenAlex ID: W4410465601