Stressors Due to COVID-19 that Impact Students Mental Health
By Jenna Piitz
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a tremendous strain on individuals' mental health. The lack of a vaccine, jobs being lost, and no end in sight all add to people's worries. The pandemic has raised questions and concerns never thought of, through millions of people's minds daily. The unknown is worrisome for most already, add a pandemic on top, and it is chaos. To speak precisely, university and college students are suffering more than ever before. The added stress of adjusting to online learning and the pressure to do well has impacted students' mental health. As young adults, many changes occur in life, and many are just trying to grasp what life is really like. Adults no longer shelter them, and they are forced to learn what life is. This section of the archive will illustrate some of the added stressors that have played a role in the decline of students' mental health and dive into the common denominator of them all -- COVID-19.
Impact of Social Isolation
As COVID-19 began to come into full effect, on March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the existence of a world pandemic (AGMC Staff, 2020). From this point, everyone was ordered to stay in their homes and limit their time in their communities. For students, this meant that they were no longer to attend class in-person but rather to continue the semester online. This created a significant obstacle for most as they were about to begin exams. Many students remained hopeful that come the fall, they would be able to return. Upon summer break, universities announced that school was to stay online until further notice. This was the beginning of an uphill battle for most as they began to lack in-person interaction. As the fall semester commenced, students felt the effects of distance education. The interpersonal relationships formed by going to campus and seeing others is gone. As human beings, we crave social interaction; having school online, this learning aspect is completely diminished. The lack of social interaction -- accompanied by self-motivation-- can lead to feelings of isolation (Rego, 2020). These emotions can lead to one becoming depressed, especially during the winter months. With the weather being colder, students cannot destress in ways they may have before, for example, walking outdoors. The theme of "social distancing" has been prominent throughout the media to 'reduce the spread'; however, complete isolation leads to a significant decline in one's mental status. The importance of 'self-care' has become a topic for discussion, but many entered a dark place that seems to have no light in sight.
Toxic Living Environments
As COVID-19 impacted the lives of university students, many had to make a difficult decision of whether or not to move back to their student homes near the school. For some, they decided to stay at home; others did move back. The implication with this begins with roommates. As a university student, living with friends sounds appealing; however, this can turn toxic quickly. With everyone continually being home, people are bound to argue. This creates an unhealthy environment to live in, let alone learn. Having tension in a home is a stressor to someone who is already going through a hard time, as we all are. This can significantly impact the student's mental health as feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety already exist. Having issues within the household is an additional factor that can cause these negative emotions. Feeling as though you are alone with no one to confide in on top of the anxiety of university is an issue many students are experiencing. With the only form of interaction with people, even people as close as our families, being online, we become trapped in our minds. Becoming even more so reliant on technology has left many feeling lonely despite the hours spent online. Students realize how deeply they value social interaction. Seeing familiar faces walking to class, meeting up with a group in the library, or even meeting with the professor to ask questions all seem like a luxury compared to the times we are currently living.
Loss of Outlets to De-Stress
On top of everything mentioned above, university students are also left without extra-curriculars. Activities that they once loved doing with their peers are almost non-existent. Having an outlet to destress and relieve some tension caused by school is essential in many students' lives. For students who are a part of teams, they no longer have this to look forward to. Other students used to turn to art classes, yoga sessions, volunteering, and many other activities to relax. Extracurricular activities help build a community, and without this aspect, opportunities are lost. Meeting one another and partaking in orientation with fellow classmates is all part of the university experience for incoming students. Being ordered to stay home has left many with no outlet to destress, and students have felt this immensely. It is vital for one's well-being to have an outlet to turn to when all else is hard. People in this age group (17-23) value their social life tremendously and feel this impact the most. The strain on their mental health has impacted their academics as if the pre-existing stress from school was not enough; adding a global pandemic and additional stressors. With this change to students' activities and their support systems that they once turned to, they are now left feeling less connected to their friends, families, and hobbies.
Considering all factors mentioned above, university students are left feeling like they have to cope with these issues independently. The fear of the unknown creates anxiety for most; however, when added factors come into play, these emotions become more prominent. Many are experiencing feelings that they may have never felt before, which can create anxiety. For university students, being unable to form in-person relationships, living in a toxic environment, and no longer having the outlet they once turned to is putting a strain on their mental health. It is crucial for all students to partake in some form of self-care. Acknowledging that this is the new normal is hard for most, but creating a schedule can provide some normality in one's life.
References
Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic as a College Student: Psychiatry: Michigan Medicine. (2020, May 04). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/michigan-psychiatry-resources...
COVID-19 stress creates perfect conditions for mental health crises. (2020, November 24). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://newsroom.carleton.ca/story/covid-19-stress-mental-health/
Rego, M. (2020, July 31). Covid-19 Is Amplifying the Toxic Effects of Modern Life. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://elemental.medium.com/covid-19-is-amplifying-the-toxic-effects-of...
Staff, A. (2020). A Timeline of COVID-19 Developments in 2020. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.ajmc.com/view/a-timeline-of-covid19-developments-in-2020
Tan, K. (2020, October 05). Clubs and COVID-19: How first years are navigating extracurriculars during the pandemic. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2020/10/duke-university-clubs-covi...
What Happens to the Social Aspect of Learning in an Online Course? (2015, February 28). Retrieved December 01, 2020, from https://www.bestcollegesonline.org/faq/what-happens-to-the-social-aspect...