College Students Face an Increase in Mental Health Concerns from COVID-19

UWM senior Emma Fath has felt her mental health negatively spiral since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She moved closer to campus in August for two classes that were set to be in person, only to find that they were moved online. Fath says being holed up in an apartment alone has contributed to increased feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression.

“I feel like everything’s a mess right now, and I’m trying to figure out how to do things day by day,” said Fath. “Getting up to go to class was a huge thing because it motivated me to get out of bed, whereas right now I just get up and go sit at my desk.”

Fath is not alone. A survey released by the National Institute of Health indicated a 71% increase of stress and anxiety in college students across the country due to the coronavirus outbreak. Similarly, an American College Health Association study found that the rates of depression have grown in students since the start of the pandemic. Both research studies found the primary concerns of students to be concentration on academic performance, social isolation, sleeping patterns, current events and personal safety, among others.

As the year comes to a close, many students at UWM are feeling a growing toll on their mental health as a result of dramatically altered home and school lifestyles.

Jason Katte of University Counseling Services has seen an uptick in mental health concerns this year, citing drastic changes in support systems and uncertainty as factors in the country’s collective mental health experience. He says the social disconnect brought by COVID-19 has created depressive flares and anxious moods among college students.

“COVID-19 has really spread out the awareness of mental health concerns to everybody, as people are feeling isolated, stressed, frustrated, irritated and anxious for reasons that are impacting us all,” said Katte. “There is a trauma lens that you can apply to everyone because this global experience has been uncomfortable for all of us.”

The transition to a virtual learning environment is what Fath says has been especially hard to adjust to. As a double major in political science and economics, she not only has to worry about the advanced subjects in her heavy course load, but also the added difficulty of working at an asynchronous pace.

“I’m not an online person, so switching to all online has stressed me out to no end,” said Fath. “In three of my classes, I am basically teaching myself from the PowerPoints that are posted.”

Katte recognizes how difficult things have been for students attempting to navigate their schoolwork on their own, largely for those who are usually hands-on learners. He also notes that professors are trying their best with the limitations at hand, as they have had to completely redesign their methods of delivery and are no longer able to check in with students in a face-to-face manner.

“No one has any choice in the matter so it really is a challenge,” said Katte. “The more that we can communicate and create a community of understanding around the experiences of students and teachers will be really helpful.”

More recently, the end of daylight savings and the shift to colder weather have affected changes in mood in younger populations. According to the CDC, an average of 52.1% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 expressed symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder from mid- to late- October.

“Winter is going to be tough for a lot of people,” said Katte. “Especially when it’s already dark at the end of your workday or school day, or you can’t get outside because it’s Wisconsin and it’s suddenly snowing.”

As mental health concerns have increased, so has the use of therapy and counseling. Because services are no longer able to be conducted in person, however, some people like Fath see more challenges in adapting to the virtual setting.

“It’s hard because there is this screen barrier between us,” said Fath. “In-person therapy works way better for me but at the time this is my only option.”

Katte, who is the assistant director and a group coordinator for UCS, has been pleasantly surprised at the comfort levels and reception of UWM students to virtual therapy. Another positive to the situation, he says, is that no-show rates have decreased significantly.

“Students no longer have to make it to the office, and they are usually in the same spot all day, so they don’t have to worry about being on the other side of town or campus,” said Katte.

Katte says self evaluation is the key to getting through the impacts of the year on mental health. He acknowledges that students have often been driven to push through hardships, but reassures there are many reasons to be stressed, including a global pandemic, an ongoing racial justice movement and a tumultuous political climate.

“I’m hopeful that students are gonna be more aware of their health going into the winter so that they can reach out sooner, or make some plans to balance it out,” said Katte. “But with everything that everyone has in their lap right now, sometimes I feel like it’s a tall order to have that forethought.”

Recently, UWM announced that the majority of classes after Thanksgiving will be online, and those in the spring semester will be mostly hybrid and online. For Fath, there exists the worry that her mental health will remain stagnant as she works toward graduation next semester, as all of her classes are set to be online.

Fath’s therapist and Katte have both given the advice of adding diversity to daily routines, and incorporating some form of physical activity for better wellbeing. Fath is investing in a yoga mat to bring some change to her socially-distant lifestyle and to avoid feeling stuck in her apartment.

Katte also says that reaching out to connections or making new support systems will be crucial as winter approaches.

“Setting work-play boundaries and getting out of your room is important, as many people struggle with staying in their bed or couch when things are bad,” said Katte. “Getting out and about will help you change your perspective, and seeing other people walking around will get you out of your own head for a little bit.”