COVID Causes Rise in Anxiety, Depression in Students
posted by Cheyenne Crowe-Gordon | November 6, 2020 | In Arts and Culture, News1 out of 5 college students have anxiety or depression. College is a wondrous time of new experiences and great freedom to explore new ideas and finds one’s true self, but in recent years depression and anxiety have afflicted college students at an alarming rate.
According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health report, anxiety and depression are the top reasons that college students seek counseling.
COVID-19 is adding more pressure to college students. With pivoting to online learning, students needed to adjust to the rapid shift in environment. The college experience that was once filled with socialization and community was now the opposite, filled with social distance and the reliance on technology. Psychology Today says the danger of technology in times like this is that too much of it may impair social interactions and create an increased sense of isolation.
“You would think it would be an easy last year with virtual learning, but it’s hard and not fun at all. It doesn’t even feel like college. There’s no football games or band playing, everything just seems so bleak,” said communication and media studies major Jasmine Best.
Senior Chris Jackson said, “I’m pretty sad and annoyed that I have to spend my last year of college like this. I wanted to spend it together with friends and making final memories like it was freshman year.”
The sense of isolation a student has when away from their friends with a lot going on in the world culturally as well are driving up stress and anxiety. Students are suffering from anxiety overpaying for college when many families face job losses and other finanical hardships caused by the COVID pandemic.
According to a survey by Active Minds, a national organization devoted to student mental health, 80 percent of students reported that COVID-19 has negatively affected their mental health. Most students also reported that self-care has become more difficult because their routines have been thrown off, and they struggle to get enough physical activity or connect with others.
As a college student, you would typically have hectic schedules. School demands include classes, homework, studying, and exams. But with the new college norm, school isn’t as demanding. Teachers aren’t giving the usual horse load of assignments, quizzes, or exams. Allowing time to complete an assignment, study for exams, and not feel overwhelmed. Being able to catch up on sleep, and not having your fatigue feed your anxiety.
We need to understand the anxiety that young people are facing right now. The world had been turned upside down just as young adults were starting to build their independent lives. We must help them understand that, although their future is uncertain, it is also a hopeful one for them.
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