Student mental health has ‘significantly worsened’ during pandemic – UB
More than half of students surveyed said they wouldn’t know where to go to seek help
The damage done to students’ mental health by the coronavirus outbreak and ensuing college closures has surprised even researchers at a student advocacy organization.
A large majority of the 2,086 students surveyed by Active Minds reported that COVID-19 has had a negative emotional impact, says Laura Horne, the organization’s chief program officer and author of its student mental health survey.
What was startling was that one in five students said their mental health had “significantly worsened” during the coronavirus pandemic, Horne says.
“Colleges and universities should not just be asking about students’ likelihood to return in the fall,” Horne says. “They should be including mental health, and using that data to set priorities.”
This information could convince administrators facing financial cuts to maintain or even increase funding for campus mental health services next school year.
The availability of comprehensive mental health services could also encourage students to return to campus in the fall, Horne says.