College students struggle with mental health amid a pandemic
Mental health has been an ongoing struggle for college students but trying to gain mental stability amongst a global pandemic is proving to be more difficult.
With quarantine lasting way longer than predicted, there was no way for college students to interact with friends and family for around three months. Even though Louisiana is not currently under lockdown, there are countless amounts of regulations and policies put in place that prevent college students from enjoying the “college experience” as they once did
After surveying a random sample of local college students, it seemed that a majority struggle with isolation and not being able to interact with other people. Students said they hated not being allowed to go do activities with loved one and limited travel also put a damper on things.
A few students said they are struggling with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression and that during quarantine, it only got worse. Most of the students requested to stay anonymous, but they said similar things along the lines of “lack of outside activities” and being “stuck with only themselves” seemed to worsen the illnesses.
As for how to cope with mental illness during quarantine, many suggested finding things to distract from the intrusive thoughts or pick up a new hobby.
Alexis Robertson had been a southeastern student for three semesters, but had to take off this semester in exchange for online classes at Delgado Community College. Robertson offered a piece of advice and said, “All this is temporary. Remembering that seems hard, but not impossible.
Amanda Anderson is a mental health counselor at the Southeastern Louisiana University Counseling Center who gave her own professional advice on how to deal with isolation.
“Accomplishment,” Anderson said. “At the beginning of each day, set a realistic goal for yourself to complete at the end of the day.” By doing this, it releases a feeling of accomplishment that encourages one to get more done within the day. It can be something as simple as making the bed to completing assignments or projects.
She also advised to stay connected with family and friends as well as resources that could help someone in case anything troubling comes up. Some good resources include virtual support groups that many college campuses offer as well as hotlines or virtual therapy sessions. Southeastern’s Counseling Center website has a list of resources that they recommend if students need immediate mental health help and cannot wait for their appointment date. Anyone can set up a counseling appointment with the counseling center by emailing them at SLUCC@southeastern.edu or calling the number 985–549–3894.
