COVID

The whole world is fighting against an invisible enemy which has already destroyed
lives, live styles and has created a confused chaotic future.
And keeping in mind with the present scenario our increasing topic of concern would be
“STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH”. Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Grief, etc. has destroyed
students way of thinking leading to physical abuse of themselves.
It all started with educational institutions shutting down creating a disorganised and
perplexed vision of what would be outcome of their future. This sudden change with no
support from external institutes, organisations or peers has still more created lot of
psychological fear or internal disturbance in the lives of the students.
So, let’s look into vital role played by the Pandemic season in Students Mental Health.
1. Shutting down of Educational Institutions leading to closed door isolation with
no face to face interaction with any one particularly their own age group. This
was just a spark towards an anxiety disorder triggered by an irrational and
intense fear of what’s joining to happen.
2. Sleeping and Eating disorders, addiction to gadgets, unwanted emotions and
moods of family members, ending of daily organised student routine caused both
physical and mental health issues.
3. Sudden introduction of Online Classes creating chaos, stress, anger and anxiety
of how could we be able to cope up and understand the pathetic way of teaching
which is causing problems to both the teacher and the student.
4. Parents/Guardians financial situations, leading to emotional and behavioural
issues wherein developing depression or other mental health conditions.  
5. Loss of loved ones causing trauma and anguish which cannot be expressed.
6. Lack of outdoor activities resulting a change in personality and unhealthy
lifestyle of students.
Students expressed challenges with time management, distraction and problems
associated with family members. These were situated in the notion of self-directed
learning and self-management. These notions entail discipline, personal commitment,
motivation and so on.

As a result of physical distancing measures implemented in response to COVID-19,

education institutions have shifted to an emergency online learning format, which
would be expected to further academic stressors for students, it is reasonable to
venture that student may experience reduced motivation toward studies, increased
pressures to learn independently, abandonment of daily routines, and potentially higher
rates of dropout as direct consequences of these measures.
Students have got into various scams; scammers main target niche was students
because all wanted to work and earn money instead of sitting at home ideally. The
scammers target was easy because students believe on the numbers and easy ways and
shortcut for success, which doesn’t exist.
Economic recession has been associated with increases in the prevalence of
psychological distress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse disorders, and suicide and
suicidal behaviour. Unemployment, insecure job situation, lower socio-economic status,
and pre-existing psychiatric problems seem to be the determinants of post- economic
recession mental health issues.
The stigma-
Stigma against survivors of the COVID-19 infection has resulted in harassment,
stereotyping, discrimination, social isolation, and in some instances physical violent.
Stigmatised individuals have experienced emotional disturbance, anxiety, depression
and emotional disturbance.

Apart from this even scarier is going to be the Post Covid Issues with Students getting
ready to attend educational institutions
1. Psychological fear regarding safety precautions
2. Too much Learning/Syllabus leading to lack of interest because of selective
listening and attention disorders
3. Extended Class timings would cause irritation, frustration and concentration.
4. Financial crisis due to parents’ situation
5. Misleading notions like ‘be positive’, ‘it's all in your head’, ‘you fight it with your
will power’ and superstitious rituals are quite common. Let me be clear that such
actions often lead to increased suffering of the patient with a high likelihood of
the symptoms getting worse each day.

Getting over the pandemic -

 Accept that each child has different tolerance levels for stress, fear and anxiety.
 Educate yourself and understand that there is a biological contribution to mental
illness which needs attention from qualified mental health professionals. Accept
the idea that your child might need to take psychiatric medication.
 Psychotherapy and counselling with a psychologist can make a huge difference.
Medicines along with psychotherapy give the best results.
 Don't rely on therapies that are not based on any scientific evidence, such as
resorting to so-called healers etc. You might cause more damage than help.
 Note early warning signs and small changes in the behaviour of the child.
Immediately seek help from a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
 Allow the child to express his/her thoughts and emotions. Be an empathetic
listener.
 As a parent, spend quality time with children and assure them of your support
and assistance.
 As a teacher, encourage them to read and collect information about common
mental health issues in their age. Talk openly about these issues.
 Create mental health first aid services in school and community
 Be part of any support network for people dealing with mental illness and their
caregivers.
Here are a few quick tips by for older students to take care of their own mental health:
 Eat well.
 Get plenty of sleep.
 Exercise regularly.
 Stay connected with friends and family.
 Talk to family if you feel any mood swings, sudden sleep changes etc.
 Be creative and spend time on productive tasks.
 Focus on self-compassion and learn coping strategies.
 Get involved in household work and connect with your parents.
 Limit screen time. Select offline and no screen activities.
 Be aware of online bullying and be safe

When feeling stressed, reach out to family, and catch up with your friends over video
call.
Distract yourself from the monotonous Covid-19 lockdown life, by rewarding yourself
for completing difficult tasks.
Manage your time and balance your responsibilities by creating to-do lists and
prioritizing tasks.
Key learnings through these tough times are adaptability, agility and innovative
thinking that emerges as drivers for survival. Regular webinars, talks, close group
discussions and virtual one-on-ones help students to gain a perspective and understand
the situation better and deal better.
Students have to be more open and precise about their mental health and lives near
their parents, they need to find what they are lacking in, what is pulling them back into
the dark space and take an action, work on it and most importantly, parents and
children have to normalise the stigma that people can have mental problems and should
share so that it can be treated. As we all say, every problem has a solution.