Covid ‐19 School Closures

Disruptions in School‐Based Support Services and Socioemotional Loss Among Middle School Students

Bibliographic Data

ID21354137
AuthorsSamantha Bates (0000-0002-0915-5709, College of Social Work The Ohio State University Columbus OH, corresponding author), Danielle R Eugene (0000-0001-8686-0615, School of Social Work University of Texas at Arlington Arlington TX)
Year2024
Volume94
Issue3
Pages209-218
Publication date2024-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of School Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-4391 • E-ISSN: 1746-1561
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/josh.13421
PMID38097524
OpenAlexW4389750881
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited28

BACKGROUND: In the United States (U.S.), 77% of school district leaders reported that their students had fallen behind in their social-emotional development due to COVID-19 school closures. Although research has measured indicators of social-emotional well-being from the perspective of other informants, little is known about student perceptions of perceived changes in their socioemotional competencies and, to a lesser degree, their nonacademic needs. AIMS: The current study examined middle school students' nonacademic needs, perceptions of socioemotional competencies, and predictors of "socioemotional loss." MATERIALS & METHODS: The authors utilized secondary data from 395 middle school students gathered in August 2020 and November 2020 in one large middle school in the southern region of the U.S. Multivariate and linear regression analyses explored students' nonacademic needs, assessed changes in perceptions of their socioemotional competencies over time, and identified predictors of "socioemotional loss" during the "return to learn" period. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that 3% to 14% of students reported nonacademic needs, with the greatest needs related to food, housing, and healthcare. Further, 48% of students reported perceived losses in their socioemotional competencies, and students formerly receiving school-based support services were those most affected (71% vs. 46%, p = .01). Among the subgroup reporting losses, living in a single-parent household significantly predicted socioemotional loss (β = -.16, p = .02). DISCUSSION: School-based practitioners, including educators, policymakers, social workers, and mental health providers, can utilize these findings to deliver interventions to students that experienced hardships during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Responding to these risks will be critical as schools adapt and intervene in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developmental psychology · Mental health · Perception · Psychiatry · Socioemotional selectivity theory · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance

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