University COVID policies exacerbate college students’ mental health struggles

The College Fix ^ | December 1, 2021 | Daniel Nuccio

[CheshireTheCat]

Mental health has suffered considerably since the start of the COVID pandemic, especially among college students.

According to one JAMA report, data from as early as April 2020 indicated that mental health had declined considerably since 2018 and that young people between the ages 18 to 29 were experiencing symptoms of psychological distress at greater rates than any other demographic.

By June of 2020, following what for many was a three month period of lockdown, 18- to 24-year-olds were reporting anxiety, depression, new or increased substance use, and suicidal ideation at rates higher than any other age group, the CDC reported.

Later surveys by TimelyMD and Active Minds continued to document such findings, with high rates of anxiety, depression and stress among that age group as the pandemic wore on.

Psychologist Barry Schreier, director of university counseling services at the University of Iowa and communications chair for the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors, described the pandemic as something of a natural disaster, but of an unprecedented sort.

“The pandemic’s interesting,” he told The College Fix in a telephone interview. “Unlike a hurricane that would sort of go in and devastate a community … we know it’s coming. It does its thing and it’s over … The pandemic’s nothing like that.”

“It sort of showed up suddenly …” Schreier said, “[and] it’s gone on and on and on. And when will it end? It’s not clear. And is it going to get better? We’re not sure.”

For many students, the constant evolving nature over the last nearly two years has been difficult to navigate, he added.....

[CheshireTheCat]

I don't know any college student to ask them about how things are going and what their fellow students talk about with regard to this.

I'd be curious what those of you who do know college students can report.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Cupcakes with pink frosting.

[goodnesswins]

Attending any Propaganda place likely is the problem...CRT, DEI, etc...

[Svartalfiar]

College kids are absolutely retarded. I’m back at UTA after several years not in college, and these kids are terrible. Group projects assigned two or three weeks ago, no one does anything until the last weekend or even pulls all-nighter the night before it’s due to get their part done...

I don’t do any of the social stuff really, but from what I’ve seen of people in class and walking around, most seem fine emotionally. They’re. Us net good at time management and priorities of work!

[KosmicKitty]

I’ve been teaching college students for 29 years at several different schools. Once the faux pandemic began, every school began offering free mental health emergency plans. In the past two years I have referred at least 8-10 students per semester to the plans.

I’ve never seen anything like this in my first 25 years of teaching. Before the pandemic there were a few small groups who had issues - kids with substance abuse issues and those “transitioning” - but nothing like what I see now.

[CheshireTheCat]

I’m surprised we haven’t been hearing about the need to invest billions in college mental health clinics.

What prompts you to refer students these days?

What signs do you see?

Do the students talk much about their feelings to you?

Are there ever class discussions about what people are thinking and feeling?

I was in college back in 9.11 days and remember the first couple classes being all about discussing the event and our response. And they we felt about a week or so later we had to get on with life things.

But I guess it’s different in that that was an eventuated punctuated on a date and this plandemic is ongoing and going and going.