“It feels like I have nowhere to relax or cool down” – How the pandemic impacts on students’ feeling isolated.

The Pandemic has heightened mental health issues. Image posed by model.

Mental health organisations are warning that Covid- 19 isolation is putting many students under pressure.

University students across the country areĀ  struggling with mental health issues due to restrictions placed upon them, charities and councillors are warning.

For many lectures, seminars and support are all now online, meaning students are not having face-to-face interaction, as well as having to isolate in student accommodation with people they potentially have just met and know nothing about.

Loneliness, anxiety and depression are in the top three mental health problem that are affecting students.

In a recent studyĀ by the Government, almost 38,000 of students found that: 9% think about self-harming often or all the time. 21.5% of students have a current mental health diagnosis. 33.9% have experienced a serious psychological issue for which they felt they needed professional help.

Zach Doyle, a student from Newcastle University, spoke about his University experience has been turned upside down and how his mental health has been affected by the impact of COVID-19:

The National Union of Students (NUS) have called for Universities to invest in their mental health services that they offer to students; making sure that new students are aware of the available support.

At Teesside University, Elisha LycettĀ  (pictured),Ā  who is President of Welfare at the Student Union, spoke about how Teesside is helping students who are experiencing mental health issues:

She said: “Teesside have been going the extra mile with mental health support.”
“Their counselling services have also done really well and thinking outside the box when it comes to mental health support which has involved things such as getting people active to improve their mental wellbeing.
“They have a web page with all of the mental health support information on including contacts for emergency support which can be found at https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/stud/mental_health.cfm

“For students who are isolating the University have prepared food packages for them so that they don’t need to worry about their food shop. I also provided sanitary products for isolating students which is a small but important contribution.

“I work closely with the university to ensure that everything is in place for isolating students to ensure that they have everything that they need.

“There are loads of amazingĀ charitiesĀ on and offĀ campus that can provide mental health support. The university and us here at the Students Union work closely with theĀ Mind charity,Ā currently they hostĀ Mental Wellbeing workshops for students.
“I totally recommend these workshops, I attended one myself to see what the hype was about.Ā 
“The students UnionĀ also have an amazing Student Support service (SUSS) who can help with Academic worries, student support issues, finances andĀ loads more.
“I should also mention the work of Student Minds, they have an out of hours support line for those who are struggling.”Ā 
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