Crisis on campus: coronavirus and students’ mental health

Let me transport you back to your time at university, those days that burnt bright and fused fast – the days that were yours for the taking. A simpler time; when you forged transient friendships in the bathroom stalls of sticky-floored nightclubs, when you styled questionable haircuts with unforgivable outfits, when you danced off the hours lost working in the library – a slave to the desk and then to the dancefloor. It’s fair to say that university is a cluster of experiences; some you regret, some you don’t, some you’ll share with your children and some you won’t…

So what happens when the fag-stained, wine-soaked carpet is pulled from underneath your feet? What happens when your reality is less about the cluster of experiences and more about the reliability of your wireless router? While Covid-19 had taken a toll on everybody’s mental wellbeing, students have been reporting high levels of anxiety, stress and loneliness. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 57% of participating students stated a deterioration in their mental health and wellbeing since the start of the autumn term. In light of these statistics, what is it exactly that students are finding hardest and what is being done to support them?

To start with, students are struggling with remote learning and the lack of human interaction. Jessica, a first-year Theology student at Manchester University, finds it impossible to concentrate on her work when her day-to-day is so monotonous: “You work, eat and sleep all in the same place as there is nowhere to go. Plus, there is no meaningful interaction; people turn their camera and mic off and go back to sleep; no one engages. Online learning is like putting on an episode of Friends except you take notes.”

Another first-year at Newcastle University, who did not want to be named, described how at University people turned to drugs and alcohol out of boredom as there was nowhere else to go: “People were drinking themselves into oblivion, smoking, watching TV; it got worse and worse.” The students who were stuck in halls are now stuck at home where they continue to feel unmotivated and isolated: “It’s not just your mental health deteriorating, but you feel as if your cognitive abilities are stagnating. You are not getting the stimulus you need as a person, from teachers or friends, so you can’t focus. I’m left alone to my thoughts which makes me feel much more insecure.”

Since the announcement of the first lockdown, petitions like ‘Save our Grades’ are calling on Universities to implement a “no-detriment policy”, a policy which reviews how Covid-19 can impact assessed work. The policy is supported by students like Harry, a third-year Geography student at Portsmouth University, who has seen his grades slip due to Covid-19: “Online learning is not as effective, especially for me as being in a lab is a key component to my degree. The university needs to recognise that students are stressed by the crisis and by not having access to facilities that they otherwise would have done.”

“Before coronavirus, I was usually an upbeat, optimistic person, but since the pandemic, I feel isolated and stressed. Without seeing other students talk about it, it feels as if you are going at it alone.”

In light of the problems with remote learning and isolation-induced loneliness, students feel Universities could be more supportive. Since the tragic suicide of Finn Kitson, a fresher also at Manchester, Jessica was expecting to hear more from her university: “After Finn died, it was the professors who reached out and sent around helpful resources, but there was little to nothing from a higher level. It felt and feels as if we are being been neglected not just by University but also by the Government.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “We recognise that many students are facing additional mental health challenges due to the disruption and uncertainty caused by the coronavirus outbreak. We have worked closely with the Office for Students, proving up to £3m to fund the mental health platform Student Space, in response to the pandemic, which works alongside university and NHS services.”

An NUS survey back in December revealed that only 29% of those who said their mental health had been negatively affected, sought help. A worrying prospect that those who require immediate help are failing to do so. However, speaking to Jennifer Smith, the Policy Manager at Student Minds, it seems that students have started to reach out: “Between the five days preceding the third English lockdown announcement and the five days following, Student Space saw a 260% increase in users accessing the service.” While an increased demand for support can be a cause of concern, Ms Smith claims it is “positive that students are reaching out for help when they need it.”

Sara Khan, NUS Vice President for Liberation and Equality, said how it was encouraging that universities were increasing support for students through platforms like Student Space, but in order to tackle the mental health crisis on campus there needs to be more financial aid:

“It should not be down to individual universities to allocate funding but that there should be central government funding directed to ensure that all students can access the services they need. Similarly, any mental health services on campus must be complemented by increased funding for the NHS and NHS provided facilities so that students do not lose access to the support they requite once they finish their courses.”

It is clear that students feel short-changed and side-lined, that they are paying up to £9,250 a year, (excluding rent and other loans) for an experience to have within the four-square walls of their bedroom. It has been a baptism of fire for first-year’s, an abrupt transition from school to university has left them with half-baked friendships. For third-year’s, uncertainty over job prospects and the future continues to cause widespread anxiety. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to all sorts of sacrifices, but you can’t help but feel for these students who are caught in a juggling act; balancing academic, social and financial pressures all whilst trying to maintain a positive outlook in increasingly uncertain times. The best years of your life? Let’s hope not.

A statement from Student Space for those struggling:

“Student Space is a new, mental health support programme available to University students in England and Wales. We offer a variety of directly support options like text, phone and web-services. Student Space recognises that reaching out for support for the first time can feel daunting and not what you expect, explore the tips and information on our website to support you. Please do reach out if you need to; you don’t need to face another lockdown alone. Text ‘STUDENT’ to 85258 to start a conversation, open 24 hours a day.”