Covid's Impact on College Student Mental Health

COVID’s Impact on College Student Mental Health

By Minahil Tufail

The ongoing pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives from altering our daily schedules to how we interact with the people around us. With these adjustments to our routines and our social relationships, we have faced the great difficulty of finding a balance of normalcy when the world is, simply put, far from ‘normal.’ On top of rewiring our understanding of what a day consists of when working from home, we also deal with the constant fear of contracting the virus and what that might mean for our health. Except, Covid-19 does not only risk affecting us physically, but mentally as well, regardless of whether you are ever infected with the virus or not. Though everyone’s mental health is of concern no matter the age range, the consequences of the pandemic on the mental health of college students is of particular worry. After all, as of 2019, the American College Health Association reported that 60% of college students suffered from overwhelming anxiety and 40% felt severe symptoms of depression. Considering this survey was conducted before Covid-19 struck and quarantine measures were put in place, it is vital that we evaluate how the current circumstances are impacting the mental health of college students.

After putting together a questionnaire concerning topics about mental health and receiving responses from six college students, spanning from freshmen to sophomores, all unanimously agreed that quarantine has worsened their mental health. Furthermore, all noted that their mental health before being placed into lockdown was relatively better. Based on this, it is inferable that many other college students are reflecting similar sentiments. In fact, according to the most recent survey from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, 70% of college counselors claimed that the amount of students experiencing severe psychological problems or illnesses has increased during the past year.

Everyone’s situation is unique to themselves; therefore, it is difficult to pinpoint one or several specific reasons as to why mental health issues are on the rise. One factor that likely plays a role in influencing mental health is living and spending most days at home for months. When asked in the questionnaire about the impact of living at home on mental health, four of the six college students responded that it has negatively affected them. For two of these four, this was due to strained relationships with family members that has generated further stress upon them during an already difficult time. For the others, it wasn’t necessarily because of their relationships with their family members, but the overall sense of suffocation and isolation when having to go through the daily motions of life in the same room and house over and over again. However, two of the six college students stated that living at home actually became rather comfortable for them considering they were surrounded by loved ones, whether it was roommates or family members. The familiarity of those around them helped tend to their anxiety, but now their concern lies in the fact that eventually, they will have to reenter normal social situations. After adjusting to seeing a small circle over time, they are unsure of how their anxiety will be affected once partaking in group or public scenarios.

When facing a mental health problem of some kind, coping mechanisms become extremely important in properly handling them. While only one of the six respondents expressed their preoccupation that they might lean towards unhealthy coping mechanisms in response to their suffering mental health, a wave of substance abuse disorders is approaching according to Dr. Naomi Simon, Dr. Glenn Saxe and Dr. Charles Marmar from New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. These substance abuse disorders would affect everyone and bring to light to the frailness of the current national mental health system, but the populations particularly at risk are Black and Hispanic people, those belonging to lower socioeconomic groups, and healthcare and essential workers. Covid-19 has already emphasized the ongoing health disparities plaguing our country through the unequal access to healthcare, and it now does so again through this disproportionate effect of substance abuse disorders impacting certain groups over others.

Because of this, it is critical that we learn and cultivate a system of healthy coping mechanisms. Again, everyone’s experience with mental health is personal to them; therefore, there is not one set resolution that will suit everyone. In response to what self-care measures were personally taken during this time, three of the six college students said that sleeping more and napping has positively aided their mental health. Two of the six also emphasize the importance of getting a breath of fresh air, whether it be by going on a walk or simply laying outside. Other possible methods of self-care that effectively brighten their day, even if only slightly, include cooking, listening to music, watching movies, taking a shower, cleaning their room, disconnecting from social media, and conversing with family and friends. With this plethora of possibilities, what truly matters is doing what you feel will best elevate your mood while focusing on healthy, positive actions. There is no easy way to deal with mental health issues, but Covid-19 has also shown that even though we may all be isolated in our own homes, we are still a community— a community that should support and uplift each other.