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Higher Ed Dive
The pandemic is weighing on students' mental health: survey
Hallie Busta
Feb. 17, 2021
Dive Brief:
Students most frequently cited mental health as an aspect of their
lives that has been negatively impacted by the pandemic, according to a
survey by the Center for Collegiate Mental Health at Penn State
University.
This was true for all but one of the 38 demographics the researchers
tracked, even though only a third of students were seeking counseling
for pandemic-related reasons.
LGBT and nonbinary students, along with students of color, reported
higher rates of disruption from the pandemic than their peers.
Dive Insight:
The data was gathered from more than 47,000 students entering treatment
at one of 143 college counseling centers this fall, offering a snapshot
of how the pandemic is affecting campus communities broadly.
Students were asked whether the pandemic is negatively impacting 12
areas of their lives, including academics, mental health and
relationships. That information was broken down across nine demographic
characteristics, including gender identity and sexual orientation as
well as whether the student was first-generation or had a disability.
The findings highlight which student groups are most adversely affected by the pandemic.
Transgender men and nonbinary individuals were significantly more
likely than their peers to say the pandemic has negatively affected
them across a range of factors, including mental health, academics,
motivation or focus, and loneliness or isolation.
Students surveyed who are bisexual, questioning, pansexual, lesbian or
queer reported negative impacts on factors including their mental
health, motivation or focus, loneliness and academics at higher rates
than those who are heterosexual/straight.
And students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and American
Indian or Alaskan Native, were most likely to report harm to their
mental health. Students in these two groups, along with those who are
African American/Black, reported the highest rates of grief or loss.
COVID-19 is killing people who are Black, Hispanic or Latino, or from
Indigenous communities at the highest rates.
The prevalence of mental health concerns across demographics means
colleges should be "actively preparing" to support these needs in the
coming year, the researchers wrote. In particular, they note, colleges
should consider how to help students with minority identities when
developing support services, as the data shows that they are most
negatively impacted by the pandemic.
At least initially, the pandemic made accessing healthcare more
difficult for many students. Counseling centers have tried to make
their services available virtually. But challenges remain for students,
including poor internet access and a lack of privacy to attend sessions.
Centers were struggling with capacity issues before the pandemic began, when CCMH notes demand for their services was growing.
Read this story and others at Higher Ed Dive
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