As the country continues to battle the coronavirus, health professionals are monitoring a growing crisis among young adults struggling with mental health problems, including suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression related to the pandemic. One such survey shows that the mental well-being of students has been devastated by the pandemic’s social and economic consequences, as well as the continued uncertainty about their education and careers. Still reeling from the emergency closures of campuses across the country and the sudden shifts to online instructions, students are now worried about the next academic year.
A recent study has shown that around 11 per cent of students are suffering from severe mental health imbalance, 12.57 per cent from less severe mental imbalance, 72.7 per cent from moderate imbalance and 4.32 per cent from mild mental health imbalance. Insecurity, slandering on social media, and smoking habits have increased the mental health imbalances of students during the lockdown period. Besides, the students who live in urban areas compared to those who live in rural areas suffer more stress. In contrast, spending more time with family members and participation in household works reduced the mental health disturbances of students.
Restrictions on sharing social and political dissenting opinions, interactions and shared physical spaces, and the ability to freely interact without nagging anxiety about potential exposure to the coronavirus, can affect students in unique ways. Students may feel isolated or lonely because they can’t have visitors in their residential halls. Relationships between roommates can be complicated by students attending unsafe gatherings and putting one another at risk. Some students may be struggling with the loss of a parent or other relative to Covid-19 and may be away from their support networks. The government should take significant actions to minimize mental health problems of students in universities, all administrative units and start awareness campaigns.
