24.03.2023
The Mental Health Effects of the Pandemic Among Students
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc everywhere in the world. People lacking access to healthcare and those financially insecure have been especially impacted by the health crisis. It is understandable why the focus has overwhelmingly been on the stability of economies and healthcare systems, on the distribution (or lack thereof) of vaccines worldwide, and on the physical symptoms, both short and long-term, of the COVID-19 virus. The effects on people’s mental health, especially young people and children, has been especially overlooked.
In my job as a tutor, many students shared with me the struggles they were experiencing through the isolation and uncertain future. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, depression slowly creeped up on me, and I didn’t notice until I was doing extremely badly, because my attention got taken up by all the other things happening in the world.” (Joana, 21). At the height of the pandemic’s waves, my colleague and I were only allowed to organise our regular monthly events online, which is a quite difficult, although doable format. Some ideas worked well (ex. chess tournaments) but others were quite difficult to pull off. Yet after every event, we would get the feedback that we should continue doing such events, because they were a breath of fresh human interaction that was at the time otherwise inaccessible.
In March 2022, The World Health Organisation announced in a scientific brief that in the first year of the pandemic, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%. One major reason for this large increase is the unprecedented stress caused by the social isolation resulting from the pandemic. Other factors include work instability, fear of infection, financial worries and grief. Among health workers, suicidal thinking was triggered by exhaustion. This brief shows that the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people and that they are disproportionally at risk of suicidal and self-harming behaviours. 1
Interestingly, one meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of depression and PTSD in the general public during this pandemic at 24% and 15% respectively. For patients with acute COVID-19 infection, this increased to 42% for depression and 96% for symptoms consistent with PTSD. 2
LONG COVID & STIGMA
On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic brought one more weapon with it; Long Covid. Amongst the countless symptoms, mental health issues play a significant role. A recent systematic review concluded that whilst the coronavirus’s physical symptoms receive the most attention, the mental symptoms may be equally important. 3
Mental illness stigma is an additional burden. It often prevents people from seeking professional help or support from loved ones. What’s worse, stigma can lead people with mental illness to be discriminated against.
DEPRESSION & ANXIETY
If you are dealing with mental illness, you are definitely not alone. According to the World Health Organisation, depression is common, and it is estimated that 5.0% of adults suffer at one point in their lives from it. Most importantly, there is effective treatment for mild, moderate, and severe depression. For anxiety disorders, the proportion of the global population in 2015 was estimated to be 3.6%. Similarly to depression, they are more common among women. Many people experience both depression and anxiety disorders comorbidly. 4
We asked Dipl.-Psych. Irina Theisen, who works at the Psychological counseling centre at StudierendenWERK Berlin, a few questions regarding this topic.
What signs can you look out for in yourself or someone close to you that indicate anxiety, depression or burnout?
This varies greatly from person to person. It is important to notice changes (in yourself or others) and discuss them with people you trust or gently talk to others about perceived changes. These changes can occur suddenly or "creep in" slowly. For example, some people withdraw from others, no longer have the same fun doing things they used to enjoy, no longer trust themselves to do things, feel exhausted or thin-skinned. But some also throw themselves into work, studies and voluntary work, and only notice with a delay that they are actually not well.
What options for psychological help are available to international students in Berlin who may not be very familiar with the health system?
International students are best advised to talk to other international students or to contact a counselling centre if they need help, for example the Social Counselling Service or the Psychological-Psychotherapeutic Counselling Centre of the studierendenWERK BERLIN or another counselling centre in Berlin. These are easy to find in an internet search and can help and advise on what support options the health system can provide. It depends on whether someone comes from the EU or from a country outside the EU or what health insurance someone has. Many international students have private health insurances, which pay for certain services and exclude others.
Sometimes so much comes up at once that it is important to first gain an overview of all the relevant issues.
What habits or routines would you recommend for good mental health, especially during the pandemic?
Get out!: At least once a day, ideally during day light. This is also a good way to start the day. Fresh air, light and exercise improve well-being.
Rhythm: A certain regularity, e.g. when you get up and go to bed, an alternation of working and having time off, etc. is helpful. Of course, there may be exceptions.
Space for other people/exchange: Ideally in presence, but online is of course also possible. Feel that you are not alone, that others also have to cope with difficult situations, support each other (and you already do that by listening and talking about yourself/showing yourself), do things together (playing games, doing sports, watching a film and talking about it, dancing, etc.).
Reflection: A mini-diary can help, e.g. briefly asking the questions "What was good today?/What am I grateful for today? (sometimes just little things)" and "What is important to me tomorrow?/What would I like to pay attention to?”
As tutors we encounter many students who tell us about a loss of their future perspective and sense of life in the pandemic. What would you recommend them?
Many students had plans and set goals that are suddenly no longer reachable, e.g. a semester abroad.However, developing perspectives and making plans is very important for our health and well-being. We need to feel we have something to look forward to, something meaningful to do, to develop ourselves, to find out who we are.If we suddenly lose perspectives (as happened to many, for example, because of the pandemic), this can trigger a crisis.
After a break, it is then important to dare to make plans again and develop images of the future (even if it is uncertain whether these can be realised or will come true).
It is important to take time alone, but also to exchange with others what is possible. Plans will probably have to be changed. Together you can brainstorm, find alternatives, think out of the box.
Sometimes counselling is also helpful here.
If you feel as if you or someone you know would benefit from some support, there are good resources for you in Berlin, and you are definitely not alone.
SOURCES
2 Krishnamoorthy Y, Nagarajan R, Saya GK, Menon V. Prevalence of psychological morbidities among general population, healthcare workers and COVID-19 patients amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2020 Nov;293:113382. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113382. Epub 2020 Aug 11. PMID: 32829073; PMCID: PMC7417292.
3 Vindegaard N, Benros ME. COVID-19 pandemic and mental health consequences: Systematic review of the current evidence. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Oct;89:531-542. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.048. Epub 2020 May 30. PMID: 32485289; PMCID: PMC7260522.
4 Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IG.