Real Talk COVID-19: The Social and Emotional Crises of College Students (and what we can do about it)
Last year was a big year for my husband and I. We celebrated my master’s graduation, his undergraduate graduation, and his admission into his dream grad school. We also went downtown to celebrate the attainment of his U.S. citizenship alongside individuals from more than 25 different countries! We marveled at these milestones every chance we could. We traveled, had get-togethers with our loved ones, planned outings, and prepared for what we anticipated would be as normal a school year as any other we had experienced. Not for one second did we expect that 2019 would be the last year for us to experience life as we knew it.
When word about a novel virus started circulating in early 2020, it was hard to envision anything different than what the world had seen with other viruses and diseases. We had (at least somewhat) managed SARS, West Nile, HIV, and MERS, isolating cases, inhibiting global spread, and even identifying feasible treatment plans in some cases. We were invincible, with medicine and technology so advanced that a global pandemic was nothing more than a mythical dystopian world seen on screen in Hollywood films like Contagion and Outbreak. My goodness- were we wrong.
Dystopia. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of 2020. Over time, we have seen profound injustice prevail in some form or another in our global society, but witnessing something so globally catastrophic- a virus that, on its own, discriminates against no one- is really something. But while COVID doesn’t consciously show bias with its victims, undoubtedly, there are populations who suffer more than others.
Not all people have been impacted in the same way as a result of COVID. We know that Black/African-American and Latino/a/x communities are disproportionately infected with COVID, as many of these individuals are employed in lower-paying jobs that don’t afford them the opportunity to socially distance and work from the safety of their homes. We also know that many of these communities don’t have access to the same level of medical care, leaving them more vulnerable. The blatant physical toll that COVID has had on so many is significant, but it’s not the only health crisis we face. Two words: Mental health. We don’t always talk about it, but it sure is relevant, especially for college students.
A lot of people think that, in the greater scheme of things, missing out on in-person classes (let alone in-person graduations and other celebratory events) is a minute point. I’ve heard folks mock the emotional challenges that college students are facing, commenting on how they just need to “grow up” and adapt. Many people are particularly frustrated with Generation Z (those born after 1996), as this is a group that is commonly taking risks to socialize. They’re aware of the public health guidelines and, in fact, a recent survey of over 18,000 students from multiple college campuses suggests that 70 percent of students believe in “very closely” following recommendations for social distancing (Redden, 2020).
However as noted by the LA Times, they are also one of the groups most deeply affected by social isolation, experiencing greater loneliness than many older Americans (Abrams, 2020). In a recent study, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 46% of people between 18 and 24 reported mental health disorders related to the pandemic, compared with 36% for those between 25-44, 17% for those 45-64, and 9% for people 65 and older (Singer, 2020). Not only do Generation Z’s experiences matter because they’re human beings, but they also necessitate the prioritization of mental health crises on our national health agenda.
As noted by Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, in the U.S. News, 75% of adults facing mental illness first began experiencing it before age 25, thus, mental problems are "the chronic disorders of the student-aged population” and COVID is only exacerbating this issue (Singer, 2020). As many colleges and universities were forced to cancel events, suspend classroom teaching, and switch to online learning, the experiences and lives of college students changed considerably almost overnight. While it is known that social distancing measures have successfully slowed down the spread of infection and relieved public health systems, it is also proven that loss of interaction and emotional support and physical isolation negatively impact students’ psychological well-being and mental health (Elmer et al., 2020). Even before the pandemic took hold, surveys found that mental health indicators among college students were worsening (Hopelab, 2020); however, the broader social and economic toll of COVID- including loss of jobs amongst students themselves and their family members, increased responsibilities at home in light of younger siblings having to fulfill virtual learning requirements and older, at risk parents taking steps to mitigate potential exposure, and the cancellation of internships and other professional development opportunities (Petersen, 2020)- has cultivated a myriad of worries and stressors for students.
According to recent surveys, 79% of Generation Z youth are lonely which, even compared to data from previous years, shows that college students are experiencing dramatic increases in depression, suicide attempts, and other mental health issues that are actually causing them to leave college (Hays, 2020).
It is thought that many of the supports which can effectively help students navigate these challenges, including on-campus counseling centers and telehealth infrastructure, will improve as time goes on when compared to spring of 2020 when institutions had to be more reactive than proactive, but colleges and universities are also dealing with devastating financial ramifications (Redden, 2020) in light of student melt, loss of auxiliary funds, and more. As noted by Mary Hoban, chief research officer for the American College Health Association, there is concern that institutions will continue to cut spending on mental health services and staff, putting students in greater risk (Redden, 2020).
David M. Arnold, the assistant vice president for health, safety and well-being initiatives for a well-known student affairs association, NASPA, has noted that responsibility for student mental health “is not the responsibility solely of the counseling center and clinical staff” (Redden, 2020). Sarah Ketchen Lipson, co-principal investigator of the national Healthy Minds Study and assistant professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University, echoes this idea, noting that faculty have a particularly important role given students have fewer interactions with peers, coaches, and other university personnel (Redden, 2020).
At the same time, colleges also need to utilize this time to be creative so as to not compromise services for their students. Digital mental health guru Dr. Danielle Ramo notes that, while students and education systems typically do not have large budgets, there are a lot of opportunities to leverage technology in order to build solutions that will provide resources and care to students (Stigma, 2020). Dominican University in River Forest, for example, has created a myriad of digital supports in light of COVID, leaning into applications such as Google Voice for ease of communication with students, expanding its digital case management system for improved communication between faculty and staff, and creating multiple spaces where important student resources can be shared. Ultimately, it is these efforts that will allow institutions to respond to such interconnected and complex issues and more holistically support students with their mental health needs in times of COVID and beyond.
~ Melissa Muth Martinez
References
Ambrams, S. J. (2020, Aug. 25). Op-Ed: Why college students have a hard time living by pandemic rules
and how we can support them. Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-08-25/coronavirus-pandemic-colleges-reopening
Elmer, T., Mepham, K., & Stadtfeld, C. (2020) Students under lockdown: Comparisons of students’ social
networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. Plos One,
15(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236337
Hays, S. (Host). (2020). Combating loneliness and isolation in college students during the COVID-19
pandemic {Audio podcast]. Stigma.
https://stigmapodcast.com/combating-loneliness-and-isolation-in-college-students-during-covid
-19/
Hopelab. (2020, April 7). Combating loneliness and isolation in college students during the COVID-19
pandemic. PR Newswire.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/combating-loneliness-and-isolation-in-college-stud
ents-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-301036557.html
Kerr, E. (2020, April 27). How college students manage coronavirus stress. U.S. News.
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-college-students-are-managing-
coronavirus-stress
Petersen, A. (2020, Aug. 10). Coronavirus turmoil raises depression risks in young adults. The Wall Street
Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-turmoil-raises-depression-risks-in-young-adults-11597066200
Redden, E. (2020, July, 13). Pandemic hurts student mental health. Inside Higher Ed.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/07/13/survey-finds-higher-prevalence-depression-
among-students-and-difficulties-accessing
I very much enjoyed reading on the emotional impact the pandemic has on college students and on generation z in particular. I do see that there is a great deal of criticism regarding this generation's attempts to socialize and social distance at the same time. This is a generation that is full of energy to explore, learn and grow. For them the year 2020 was meant to hold internships, attend lectures, make college memories. Instead they are being forced to stay home, complete online classes, scramble to figure out what is going on with their field placements, and take on many adult responsibilities as parents struggle with childcare, illness, and wage losses.
ReplyDeleteCollege is a time of self discovery and it is a time to form bonds of friendship with others that can last a life time. The pandemic and our scrambling reactive approaches did not have the ability to address these issues. I am currently a graduate student at Dominican University and am very appreciative of the online trainings on COVID-19, the use of the Campus Clear app, and the university push to ensure its students are aware of available campus resources. I feel that better understanding the situation and what resources and supports are available, has an empowering or at least grounding effect on students. Being young and many times healthy, is something to be thankful for. However we should still understand and address with empathy that these young adults feel they are missing a year of their lives. There is bound to be an emotional impact to this reality, and in the midst of this realization, generation z may feel they are missing one of their biggest supports and source of self care: time with their friends.
-Amy
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteThis was such an informative blog! What I really connected with most was your statistic about 79% of Gen Z being lonely. In my internship I work with a lot of youth who have been really struggling due to Covid. The amount of isolation and lack of socialization has really taken quite a toll on these kids. Many of them who already suffer from depression and anxiety and now it's becoming more heightened due to isolation. I think it's really important for us to be aware of these impacts, especially as social workers, so that we can be more prepared for clients that we work with and how we can help them.
-Tess Boretti