The Role of Psychological Resilience and Community Resilience in Psychological Responses to COVID-19 Among Korean College Students Entering the Post-Pandemic Era

The study examined the psychological responses to COVID-19 among Korean college students entering the post-pandemic era. The study also explored the role psychological resilience and community resilience played in these psychological responses. Five universities were conveniently selected from a list of universities in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 250 students completed a survey posted on selected universities’ online student community pages. Psychological resilience was significantly related to feeling anxious about COVID-19-related issues and depressive symptoms. Community resilience was not directly related to either feeling anxious about COVID-19-related issues or depressive symptoms. Rather, the relationship was indirect through psychological resilience. This study supports the importance of building psychological resilience to effectively manage stressors, even when events have global impacts. Understanding the connection between community resilience and psychological resilience can aid governmental and social agencies in building community-level interventions to further develop resilience in populations.