Dear MDECOE community,
Have you wondered how our students in higher education are faring in social emotional functioning during the pandemic? Not so well, it turns out. Students have reported increased anxiety, loneliness, depression, worries for the health of loved ones, strained familial relationships, and difficulty completing the semester virtually from home, according to a majority of students surveyed in a recent study in BMCPsychology titled the “Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students.” One student comment from the this study summed up what many students are feeling. “It’s very hard to hold it together knowing the world as we once knew is no longer in existence..” A survey of students in our College of Education by our Equity and Student Affairs Committee last December 2020 indicated similar results. Key social emotional findings included students feeling anxious about getting infected with COVID-19 and students experiencing persistent feelings of sadness due to staying home. It is important to point out here that many studies have identified the connection between student mental health and academic success. So what would help students during this challenging time? When students in the BMCPsychology study were asked directly about methods to support their own mental health amidst COVID-19, they reported engaging in mindfulness activities (meditation, yoga, journaling, etc.) . exercising or engaging in physical activity, using a health app, and obtaining mental health care from a professional. The article concludes, “Although students found ways to take care of themselves …, the clear negative mental health impacts call for schools and federal regulations to accommodate, support, and make mental health care accessible to all students.” Below is a link to read this entire article :
Lee, J., Solomon, M., Stead, T. et al. Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of US college students. BMC Psychol 9, 95 (2021).
https://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40359-021-00598-3
For a list of social-emotional and other resources at CSUN for students, go to
You@CSUN website YOU@CSUN
Matadors forward https://www.csun.edu/matadors-forward and
CSUN with a Heart https://www.csun.edu/current-students/resources-services
For a list of many self-care options, please see our College of Education self-care website for resources for faculty, staff, students, and the community:
https://www.csun.edu/eisner-education/self-care/articles-information-self-care
Many thanks to our College of Education faculty and staff for their support of our students’ social-emotional well-being, especially now.
Shari