Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity and depression were growing public health concerns among graduate students. Yet, little is known about how COVID-19-related stressors exacerbated these health outcomes among graduate students. To address this research gap, this study examined two types of COVID-19-related stressors, anticipated concerns about remote learning and challenges interfering with academic and research responsibilities, in relation to food insecurity and depressive symptoms among public university graduate students. Between August and October 2020, 631 graduate students who utilised basic needs services from seven University of California campuses completed an online survey assessing the effects of COVID-19 on their academic experiences, mental health, and basic needs security. Regression analyses examined associations of COVID-19-related concerns and COVID-19-related challenges with food insecurity as well as COVID-19-related concerns and COVID-19-related challenges in relation to depressive symptoms. All four models were adjusted for age, sex, race and ethnicity, campus affiliation, and living with a partner. Models examining food security status as the dependent variable were adjusted for depressive symptoms and vice versa. Graduate students concerned about delayed graduation, post-graduate employment, isolation from faculty and not having access to healthcare reported higher counts of depressive symptoms. Challenges associated with higher counts of depressive symptoms included caring for family more than usual, spending more time on errands and not paying for utilities in full. Students concerned about accessing healthcare had higher odds of experiencing food insecurity. Challenges associated with food insecurity included spending more time on errands, being unable to afford housing and sending money to family members during the pandemic. Our findings illuminate the pandemic's deleterious consequences on graduate students' mental health and food security, underscoring the need for strong academic and basic needs programs and policies.

中文翻译：

---

与 COVID-19 相关的压力源加剧了接受校园基本需求服务的研究生的粮食不安全和抑郁症状：加州七所公立大学的横断面调查结果

在 COVID-19 大流行之前，粮食不安全和抑郁症已成为研究生日益关注的公共卫生问题。然而，人们对 COVID-19 相关压力源如何加剧研究生的健康状况知之甚少。为了弥补这一研究空白，本研究考察了两种与 COVID-19 相关的压力源，即对远程学习的预期担忧以及干扰学术和研究责任的挑战，这些压力源与公立大学研究生的粮食不安全和抑郁症状有关。2020 年 8 月至 10 月期间，利用加州大学七个校区的基本需求服务的 631 名研究生完成了一项在线调查，评估 COVID-19 对他们的学术经历、心理健康和基本需求保障的影响。回归分析研究了 COVID-19 相关担忧和 COVID-19 相关挑战与粮食不安全的关联，以及 COVID-19 相关担忧和 COVID-19 相关挑战与抑郁症状的关联。所有四个模型都根据年龄、性别、种族和民族、校园归属以及与伴侣同居进行了调整。将粮食安全状况作为因变量的模型根据抑郁症状进行调整，反之亦然。担心延迟毕业、研究生就业、与教师隔离以及无法获得医疗保健的研究生报告的抑郁症状数量较多。与抑郁症状增多相关的挑战包括比平时更多地照顾家人、花更多时间办事以及不全额支付水电费。担心获得医疗保健的学生遇到粮食不安全的可能性更高。与粮食不安全相关的挑战包括花更多时间办事、无力承担住房费用以及在大流行期间向家人寄钱。我们的研究结果阐明了这一流行病对研究生心理健康和粮食安全的有害影响，强调了强有力的学术和基本需求计划和政策的必要性。