Behind the Scenes: Students and the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has upended the world for nearly a year now. Its impact on physical health has been profound and enduring, causing more than 400,000 deaths in the United States alone. However, there is another impact that is less visible, but just as distressing: the impact on mental health.

Struggles with mental health are significantly impacted by a global event like a pandemic, and this has been no exception. Isolation, fear, and anxiety have made it incredibly difficult for those with prior diagnoses of depression and other mental health disorders to cope with the challenges caused by the pandemic, but it has also caused even more people to experience symptoms of distress.

Students Are Struggling

One somewhat overlooked group being profoundly impacted by the stress of the pandemic has been students, both college students and younger children in public schools. Even before the pandemic hit, college students were experiencing higher levels of depression and anxiety than the general population.

The stress of managing finances, trying to get a job, and acclimating socially all contribute to the struggles that college students have always had with their mental health. However, the onset of the coronavirus pandemic increased those feelings among college students. Colleges and universities need to offer resources to help their students deal with the mental health impact of COVID-19.

Educators and those working in social service also are quick to point out that younger children are also suffering. With public schools closed and most students forced into a virtual or hybrid school situation, there is little opportunity to socialize with friends, making isolation a serious issue.

The disruption of a regular routine and the isolation of virtual school has been having a real impact on the mental health of our school children. This impact on mental health has been truly alarming, with one of the nation’s largest school districts in Clark County, Nevada experiencing 18 suicides since the start of the pandemic.

Can Schools Reopen?

The mental health cost of the pandemic is clear. But now the question is, can we return to in-person school? Recently, the CDC advised that it would be safe to return to in-person learning, assuming that appropriate precautions are taken.

For example, masks must be worn, social distancing should be practiced, and certain activities may not be safe. The CDC notes that there is little evidence that primary and secondary schools produce the kind of large outbreaks that have been seen in other locations. Students, teachers, and parents alike hope that soon, students can return to school safely.