Students Across the Country Struggling with Their Mental Health Aren’t Getting the Help They Need
“The nights leading up to it had shown that, like, there was going to be some sort of culmination. And, that night, I was kind of worried that I was going to do something that I might regret.”
University of Texas student Victoria Canales told PBS NewsHour how she has been struggling with isolation and school during the pandemic. There are many stories like hers, students feeling alone, not connected to their peers, and trying hard to keep their grades up.
Students across the country, on or off-campus, are expected to complete their schoolwork as if nothing has changed. As if the quality of education hasn’t changed. As if it isn’t more difficult to connect with people and make friends through Zoom. As if they aren’t missing out on experiences that make college enjoyable. Yes, learning and completing assignments is a major part of college, but so is meeting new people, joining clubs, and being involved. Those off-campus are facing the challenges of being disconnected from those on campus and missing out on the limited activities and those on campus aren’t getting the same experience as they expected and are possibly living in a new city all alone.
All of these major changes have resulted in the worsened mental health of thousands of students. A significant amount of college students are already struggling with their mental health and have mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. The pandemic has not only increased the effect of the mental illnesses in these students but the number of students who are affected by them.
As a current college student, especially one who has dealt with mental illness in her life, I know exactly what so many other struggling students are feeling. I feel alone, more stressed than ever, and hopeless. I was on campus for two weeks in the fall quarter, with a full schedule of online classes. Without in-person classes, I didn’t have a reason to leave my dorm other than to get food from the dining hall. Even when I did leave my room, I was worried about the coronavirus and that there was a possibility that I would get sick. I was also away from my family, had not made any new friends, and I couldn’t focus on my schoolwork.
I cried every night because it wasn’t what I expected or wanted. One day I had enough and called my mom crying begging to go home because I would rather be with her and my brother all day instead of alone in my dorm. It was the right choice because going home made me worry about one less thing. The rest of the quarter still proved challenging and draining. I was thinking thoughts that I didn’t want to be, and I became worried about my well-being. I briefly considered taking two quarters off in hope that the next fall would be better.
I wasn’t the only one who considered this, my story is not unique. College during a pandemic is beyond challenging, more difficult than college pre-coronavirus. Students need support now more than ever, but not all of them are receiving it.
The number of students who need help and treatment is increasing, but the needed resources aren’t. Crisis hotlines have a wait time, online therapy isn’t ideal or always affordable, and therapists are being stretched thin. Even resources provided by schools aren’t as effective online as they are in person.
We are all hoping for better and hoping that it will come soon, but that is not the reality. We need to adapt to our current situation and not just wait for everything to go back to normal because it won’t. The world will not be the same as it was in January 2020 and we have to accept that.
It is every university’s responsibility to ensure that its students are getting the best education possible. However, it is also their responsibility to take care of their students’ health and provide resources dedicated to their mental health along with their physical health. Some universities already have such resources, but it can’t stop there. What is also needed is the true understanding from professors and administration that students are struggling and are going through a tough time. They might acknowledge in emails “I know this is a tough time…” or something along those lines, but it has probably been said so many times it has lost its meaning and impact.
In June of 2020, the CDC reported that “one in four Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 reported having seriously considered suicide in the last 30 days…and nearly 70 percent of college presidents now say student mental health ranks among their top concerns.”
The harsh reality is that many students have seriously contemplated taking their own life due to the challenges presented by college and the pandemic. We cannot lose these students and have to do everything for them that we can right now.
