First Advisor

Hulac, David M.

First Committee Member

Anderson, Jacqueline R.

Second Committee Member

Yu, Han

Third Committee Member

Sundeen, Todd H.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

8-2025

Department

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences, School Psychology, School Psychology Student Work

Abstract

Several individuals who attend post-secondary education have experienced at least one instance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). Those who experience significant ACEs in their lives are at risk for a number of negative mental health outcomes, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, or substance abuse problems, among others. Past studies have demonstrated that there is a potential mediating factor that leads to negative mental health stemming from ACEs. One of these mediating factors is psychological wellness, characterized by overall life satisfaction, resiliency, positive relationships, and self-acceptance. During times of uncertainty, the risk for exacerbating problems brought on by past trauma may be much higher. This is especially true during Coronavirus-19 Pandemic, wherein nearly everyone worldwide was affected by the pandemic in some way. The purpose of this study was to investigate student wellness by understanding the current mental health climate of students enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) during the Coronavirus-19 Pandemic. The current study investigated the following questions. What effect do ACEs have on the mental well-being and the changes in school performance and self-reported smartphone usage of college students? Did Coronavirus-19 Pandemic have a differential effect on the psychological wellness, changes in school performance, and self-reported smartphone usage of students who experienced a low (0-1 out of 10), moderate (2-3), and high (4 or greater) number of ACEs in their childhood? How different is the negative effect of Coronavirus-19 Pandemic on mental health and well-being between those who have low ACEs, moderate ACEs, and high ACEs? Does wellness mediate the relationship between ACEs and changes in school performance and self-reported smartphone usage? The current study used Smartphone usage and GPA as proxies for mental health outcomes. The present study explored the mediating relationship between ACEs, wellness, and smartphone usage during Coronavirus-19 Pandemic using a mediation analysis of self-reported data of 293 university students. The number of ACEs was found to be positively correlated with psychological wellness. There was a significant negative relationship between wellness and change in smartphone usage. Lastly, Psychological wellness was found to fully mediate the relationship between ACEs and the proxies for mental health. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed. These findings demonstrate that stakeholders concerned with the mental health of students can focus their attention on improving overall wellness to address past trauma or lack of coping strategies.

Abstract Format

html

Places

Greeley, Colorado

Extent

118 pages

Local Identifiers

Odiorne_unco_0161D_11379.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

Digital Origin

Born digital

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