About Transitions

Principal Investigator: Jane Cooley Fruehwirth
Co-Principal Investigator: Krista Perreira

The Transitions Project is a mixed methods, longitudinal analysis of the determinants of college student mental health during the first year of university and the supports needed to succeed in college. The project began in 2019 with a survey symptoms of anxiety and depression, stressors, supports and mental health-related behaviors first-year students at UNC-Chapel Hill. We complement the surveys with in-depth interviews about students experiences during the transition to university, stressors and supports.

Researchers are currently working on a follow-up survey to find out how the new stressors associated with the unprecedented changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have affected first year students.

We hope to bring new insights to the challenges student face by also incorporating undergraduate research teams to inform different phases of the analysis.