The Effect Covid-19 Has On Mental Health Among The Youth
By: Andrew Rodriguez
The past year has been difficult for everyone. It has put a pause on everyday life causing many people to lose their jobs and even their loved ones. More specifically, it has challenged the mental health of the youth because they are now stuck inside learning remotely and losing the social aspect of school.
Besides the younger kids missing out on their childhood memories, high school and college students are also missing out on a vital time in their lives. High school and college are the most crucial time in a young adult’s life because it is during their developmental peak, and it is when many of them discover themselves mentally. This drastic change has caused the mental health of young adults to worsen and possibly result in suicide.
Isolation is something that humans are not able to handle, especially when it is for a long period of time. We are social creatures that need to be surrounded by one another so that we do not constantly feel alone. Social interaction is vital to our society because we thrive off of communicating with one another.
In-person conversations are much different than ones over Zoom because it feels less intimate over a computer screen. Speaking face to face with someone is more comfortable compared to sitting in front of a computer screen talking to yourself for hours and hours at a time. We lose out on the intimacy aspect of communicating with one other, and because of this people's mental health is declining.
This year has not only been hard for me but for my peers as well. Universities across the country have been closing down campuses in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
They have fully switched to distance learning until it is safe to open. These closures are preventing many college students from experiencing the college life that many young adults have while attending university.
The lack of social interaction among peers and teachers can put students in a bad mental health space and cause them to do poorly in their classes. Some universities, such as The University of Virginia and Bowling Green University, have added a pass/fail system instead of the traditional grading scale in order for students to catch up on schoolwork without having to worry about their grades.
This gives students a chance to still pass the class even if they are falling behind. Attending classes during a time like this can be stressful for some students who feel unmotivated and stressed out because of the pandemic.
I know for me, personally, the spring and fall semester of this year were the most difficult semesters I have ever taken. The switch to remote learning was difficult to get used to because of the amount of classes I was taking, and I felt overwhelmed with the workload that was given.
I contemplated dropping these classes because I was feeling stressed out and had no hope of passing. I would stay up all night trying to catch up on work because I was falling behind and I was in danger of failing. They were the most mentally draining months of my life, and I learned a lot about myself during this time that made me grow as a person.
Being in a school setting allows for more opportunities to improve your understanding of the subject because there are many resources that the school provides such as tutoring, the library and being able to speak to the professor at any time. Distance learning prevents some of these resources and makes it difficult for the student to be engaged in class.
The CDC released an article that provides information for young adults aged 18-24 on how to live with COVID-19 and the ways that they can cope with anxiety or depression during this time.
They state the challenges that young adults face during this time, such as change in daily routine, employment or educational changes, missed significant life events and loss of security.
At the bottom of the article they give suggestions on what you can do to stay healthy physically and mentally during this time. The CDC suggests to recognize and address fear, stress and behavior changes by coping with stress in a healthy way.
They list examples of what people can do in order to combat stress such as taking care of your body and emotional health, taking breaks from social media or the news and to try to do activities that you enjoy.
The rest of the article goes through ways young adults can take care of themselves and their community by following CDC protocols such as washing hands often, staying six feet apart from one another and wearing masks in public spaces.
Mental health has always been an issue in America, with suicide being one of the 10 leading causes of death as of 2018. It claimed over 48,00 people's lives that year and was the second leading cause of death between ages of 10 to 34.
This year has been the most difficult year for young adults who are struggling with their mental health. According to a survey done by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 75% of young adults aged 18 to 24 reported that they experienced at least one mental or behavioral symptom, and 25% stated to have experienced serious suicidal thoughts. Suicidologist David Gunnell stated:
"Suicide risk might be increased because of the stigma towards individuals with Covid-19 and their families."
Individuals with preexisting psychiatric disorders might experience worsening symptoms or they might develop new mental health problems such as depression or stress.
The lasting effects of the pandemic will leave many people vulnerable to mental health problems and suicidal thoughts. It is difficult for public health services to respond to these crises in the middle of a pandemic because of the restrictions placed and the overwhelming number of people who are need of professional health. There are many services that offer therapy online or over the phone, but these are not enough for the extreme cases.
With everyone being stuck inside for a majority of the year it can be difficult to find motivation to do anything because the lack of routine there is everyday. However, there is an upside to having this much free time, it allows for people to discover new hobbies and to reflect on themselves.
I took advantage of all the free time and focused on my studies, which is something that I have been struggling with the past year. It also gave me time to practice my writing which motivated me to become a better writer throughout the year.
I also have friends who took on new hobbies such as live streaming, hosting their own radio show and photography. Before COVID-19, they did not have time to participate in these hobbies, but once they did, they began their new hobbies. It is healthy to have a hobby that keeps you busy and happy because it keeps your mind off of what is going on around the world.
The uncertainty of the future is stressful and terrifying not only for young adults but for the world in general. Many have missed out on graduation ceremonies, proms and other important social events this year because of the pandemic.
Jobs are being cut and some are struggling to pay rent each month, which causes them to develop mental illnesses. It is an unprecedented time that we are living in, but as long as we stay mentally and physically healthy we will get through this.