The Impact of Covid-19 to Mental Health Issues Affecting Students Academic Pursuit

Sharralouze C. Sinugbuhan

Department of Engineering, Surigao State College of Technology

GE The Contemporary World

Mr. Raymon P. Española

June 07, 2021

 The Impact of Covid-19 to Mental Health Issues Affecting Students Academic Pursuit

Mental health issues are the leading impediment to academic success (Sasangohar,2020).

Students' motivation, focus, and social relations can all be affected by mental illness, which are

all important variables in academic attainment. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into focus

the mental health of various affected populations. The prevalence of epidemics is known to

exacerbate new sources of stress, such as fear and anxiety about yourself or your loved ones,

restrictions on physical and social activities due to lockdowns and quarantine, and the sudden

radical lifestyle changes lead to a rapid growth in number of students who suffered on mental

breakdown. Although education must not stop even in the midst of pandemic yet the crisis is the

new normal and has the risk of mental and psychological impact on students. Authorities and

educational councils should help students cope up and gain knowledge and skills with the ease

on the development of the standards but not limited the needs. Strong mental physiology of

students reflects strong personality and psychological traits.

Students’ mental health in time of pandemic

Mental health problems are very common among college students. These could also be

due to the fact that going to universities is a challenging time for many traditional and non-

traditional undergraduate students. Ordinary college students start college after completing high

school, are usually younger, dependent on parents for financial support. Hence, in addition to

stress related to academic burden, these students may ought to face the challenge of taking up

greater adult-like duties without even mastering the capabilities and cognitive maturity of

adulthood.

Furthermore, university students are increasingly being identified as a vulnerable group,

with higher rates of pre-existing anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and eating disorder than

the general population. As the nature of their educational experience changes drastically,

because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health issues of this susceptible population is

also amplified.

For college students, heightened levels of psychological distress and downstream

negative academic consequences are prevalent under normal circumstances (American College

Health Association, 2019). Tertiary education institutions have shifted to an online emergency

learning method as a result of physical distancing measures undertaken in response to COVID-

19, which is projected to increase academic pressure on students. According on findings from

research examining the impact of academic disruptions on students (Wickens, 2011), it is

acceptable to suppose that students may suffer lower desire for studies, increasing pressures to

learn independently, abandonment of daily routines, and possibly greater rates of dropout as a
direct result of these measures. Therefore, with the increase in academic stressors in a

population with high level of pre-existing stress and a potentially reduced ability to rely on typical

coping strategies – such as family who themselves may be experiencing heightened distress –

the COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unprecedented mental health burden on students,

which urgently requires further investigation and immediate intervention.

Education and schools as a helping hand in overcoming the adversity

Education is a basic human right, but above all it is the key to achieve a brighter future

and build a better nation. When children cannot go to school, we know that the future is

uncertain. As of today, the COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education

systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries in all

continents (ECLAC-UNESCO, 2020). Closures of schools and other learning spaces have

impacted 94 percent of the world’s student population, up to 99 percent in low and lower-middle

income countries. The coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated deep-rooted racial and social

injustices, as well as educational disparities. With the shift to online teaching, the digital divide

has become a chasm, separating those who have access to school learning and those who

don’t. This circumstance roughly affects the students and even adds to their burden and mental

health issues.

Schools are a fundamental space for emotional support, monitoring of risks, educational

continuity, and social and material support for students and their families. With so much going

on, adults may struggle to recognize symptoms of distress in a timely manner. As a result,

instructors should anticipate difficulties while also keeping an eye out for abrupt or drastic

changes in student behavior, attitudes, or activities. It's important to link a student with

resources for help if they suddenly stop participating in their typical activities or start behaving in

ways that might hurt themselves or others.

In the face of what is sure to be a lot of uncertainty, staying connected and showing care

is what’s most important to students (Pinkard, 2020). Relationships with engaged educators

improve student outcomes even in so-called typical times. During this moments, with a

pandemic, social unrest, and other stressors, those relationships will pave a path for recovery

and renewal. Because a big part of a school’s support capacity comes through human

connection (Gibson, 2020). In fact, utilizing existing peer networks looks to be a promising

method of assisting students and intervening with those who are having difficulties. The

question is, how do schools and institutions foster social interaction with the pandemic's virtual,

intrinsically disconnected environment?

When it comes to social connection in an educational setting, class size matters.

Reducing class sizes or giving abundant opportunities for specific small-group interaction for the

same learners to interact over time, especially in a virtual setting, can help students feel more

connected to their peers. One-on-one connections are also crucial. But if there isn't a chance for

a student to have extended one-on-one time with an instructor, matching understudies with a

peer or an older student mentor can urge them to help one another and associate over what

they are learning. Teachers should also take care to prioritize opportunities for active connection

more than passive connection, like chatting through social media, for it can cause opposite

effect on the goal of increasing social connection. Educators should be explicit with students

that they are a source of support for mental-health issues.

In the face of global closures of educational institutions and the halting of non-formal

training, schools should adopt ways and means to allow struggling students to continue their

education by lowering its fees, offering scholarships and financial assistance to deserving

students, giving considerations due to different challenges encountered in the new learning set

up. Universities must recognize the infrastructure struggles of our community and have thus

implemented a mode of learning that is equitable to the school community and does not

compromise the quality of learning. For a number of reasons, we cannot return to the world as it

was before. As we “build back resilient”, we need to ensure that education systems are more

flexible, equitable, and inclusive where the students will achieve a quality education without

compromising their psychological issues but instead uplifting them to become more productive

students.

Conclusion

The bottom line in these challenging times is that there is no scale that can help us

weigh the importance of education against the uncertainty of epidemiology. One must find a

diamond along this rocky road we are traversing now. While everyone is worried about his/her

health because, indeed, this pandemic has claimed many lives already, it should not mean that

learning must stop and leave the students unproductive. Strong mental physiology of students

reflects strong personality and psychological traits. Schools must create a way where they can

assist students in overcoming their emotional adversities and also obtain a high quality

education with considerations to the new normal set up. A meaningful interactions matter

greatly. Encourage students to take breaks from screens when they can and take care to

cultivate connections wherever possible. As we grapple with the ongoing realities of the COVID-

19 pandemic, the steps we take now to support a vulnerable student population will also

mitigate the overall global mental health burden associated with this period of extraordinary

disruption and uncertainty.

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