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(561) 223-6568
(561) 223-6568
(561) 223-6568
Another year of college is in full swing across the country. In an effort to control the spread of Covid-19 among their students, some schools have gone to strictly virtual learning. Others, however, are combining this option with in-person classes, which creates a higher chance of exposure to the virus. In addition, many campuses are dealing with students who flaunt social distancing guidelines and gather for parties, which spreads it even more. While many young people were eager to get back to college after being fairly isolated during the summer, we are finding that these seemingly reckless situations are negatively impacting the mental health of many students.
Earlier this year, the American College Health Association collected information for their Spring, 2020, National College Health Assessment. At that time, an average of 49.6 percent of the 50, 307 respondents reported moderate levels of stress. Another 24.9 percent said they were experiencing high levels of stress – and that survey only included schools who had begun their data collection prior to March 16, 2020, when many states began shutting down. Today, those numbers are much higher.
In fact, the results of a study done at nine public research universities across the U. S. and led in part by the University of California, Berkeley, Center for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE), shows the incidence of major depressive disorder among college students has more than doubled since Spring, 2019.
If your college student is suffering from anxiety, they will likely show some emotional or physical symptoms. Keep in mind that they may not have all these symptoms – they may only have a couple of them. It’s important to talk to your child if they are experiencing some of these concerns.
There are also physical symptoms of anxiety that may include:
Sometimes taking a little extra time for self-care can help to reduce the mental health aspect of college life during the pandemic. We recommend your student try the following:
If these self-care measures aren’t enough to help your student with their distress, suggest that they reach out to their campus’ psychological services. The campus counseling center likely can help through phone, telehealth or video platforms, eliminating the need for your child to visit the center in-person.
If your college student is struggling with the mental health effects of the pandemic, oftentimes it can help to talk with a children’s therapist. We are here with both virtual / online and in-person treatment options.
For more information about how our child psychologists can help your college student deal with anxiety about college life during the pandemic, contact the Children’s Center for Psychiatry Psychology and Related Services in Delray Beach, Florida or call us today at (561) 223-6568.
We’ve hit midsummer and kids across the country have had to deal with the disappointment of canceled summer camps this year. Now, many school districts are making parents choose between virtual learning this fall or sending their children to school during a pandemic. Some school districts are going entirely virtual. Having to face more upheaval in a year of unprecedented changes has brought up grief and anxiety for both kids and parents. Yet, despite this turmoil, there are some good things that have come from the pandemic.
One of the most significant changes are the family ties that formed or remodeled after our hectic lives were halted. Parents and kids are spending more time together as a family because extracurricular activities aren’t taking precedence. Plus parents who are working from home have extra time to interact with their children since they don’t have to commute.
Just being able to play like children has been good for kids. Often their lives are structured from the time they awaken until they fall into bed at night, so being able to simply play has been good for developing their imagination, exploring their world, and just being a kid.
For many kids, having no summer camp has been very distressing. It’s something they look forward to –often, they have friends there that they don’t see for the rest of the year because they live in a different state. For teens who were anticipating becoming camp counselors or who were attending their final year of camp, not being able to go is beyond frustrating.
Furthermore, children haven’t seen most of their school friends in person for several months and are now being told they likely won’t see them this fall, either. In addition, when it comes to learning, many kids do better in a classroom environment where they can see examples and question the teacher directly, so it’s upsetting for them to know they will be stuck at home and struggling with virtual learning.
Parents faced similar emotions at the canceling of camp and the prospect of having their children home for at least some of the fall school semester. Along with having to figure out how to keep kids meaningfully entertained, they’re grieving the loss of their own couple’s trips and trying to navigate another semester of being involuntary teachers.
Just as with adults, the stress of life during coronavirus has dramatically altered children’s day-to-day world.
Natural disasters like a pandemic can have long term effects on kid’s emotional and mental health. In studies of children’s mental health after Hurricane Katrina, researcher Carolyn Kousky, reported that, “researchers found high rates of PTSD symptoms as well as other negative mental health impacts and behaviors, such as aggression in adolescent.” Furthermore, a 2013 study found that kids who had gone through a quarantine for disease control scored four times higher on a post-traumatic stress test than children who hadn’t been quarantined.
You can see why it is vital for parents and adult family members to help kids make sense of the pandemic, especially in an accurate way that minimizes their fears.
To avoid any long term consequences, it’s essential that parents take steps to address and reduce any COVID-19 anxiety their children may have. KidsHealth.org provides great resources for keeping kids busy during the pandemic and has some helpful ideas for addressing the topic with your child.
For more information about how our mental health professionals and child psychologists can help your child deal with anxiety about the pandemic, contact the Children’s Center for Psychiatry Psychology and Related Services in Delray Beach, Florida or call us today at (561) 223-6568.