College Students' Reduced Cognitive Empathy and Increased Anxiety and Depression before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study examines students' mental health changes amidst the multi-layered COVID-19 pandemic.  A repeated measures Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) revealed heightened anxiety and depression scores from pre to post pandemic and  a reductions in cognitive empathy as expressed through perspective taking and empathic concern.