Charting stigma’s impact on mental health among college students during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed widespread disruption in higher education, contributing to a marked increase in mental health challenges among college students. This comprehensive narrative review uses the biopsychosocial perspective to examine the complex relationship between COVID-19-related stigma and mental health of this vulnerable population. The literature suggests that stigma during the pandemic was an important contributor to and an exacerbating factor in mental health challenges among college students. The various dimensions of stigma including enacted (discrimination, social exclusion), internalized (shame, self-blame), perceived (fear of judgment), anticipated (reluctance to disclose), and associated forms potentially compound pre-existing psychosocial stressors, directly initiating or worsening feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, stigma’s operation at sociocultural (institutional policies), interpersonal (peer avoidance), and individual levels could have undermined students’ resilience and created barriers to academic and social reintegration, thus hindering recovery and sustaining poor mental health throughout the crisis. The findings underscore the need for stigma-reduction initiatives and targeted mental health interventions within higher education settings during public health crises.