Margo Cerrone, Carlie Butz, Christina Alemayehu, Jack Shevick, Paola Collazo and

Siena Callegari

University of Maryland takes on COVID-19’s Impact on Mental Health

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- After a year of distance learning, the University of Maryland is
preparing to open at full capacity in the fall. The institution is ensuring the well-being
and safety of returning students with a variety of resources.
The university will be taking various precautions to resume in-person activities,
including the requirement of COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff
returning to campus. Those vaccinated will not need to be tested regularly, and capacity
limits and physical distancing restrictions have been lifted, except for campus
healthcare facilities.
The university reports that since August 19, 2020, there have been nearly
186,000 UMD administered tests and approximately 3,000 confirmed cases, though this
does not include students and faculty who received off-campus testing and care. The
prominent source of the Maryland community’s news during the pandemic stemmed
from the 4Maryland webpage. This site provides essential COVID-19 related information
within the university and Prince George’s County regarding vaccinations, testing sites, a
COVID-19 dashboard providing up-to-date statistics, etc.
The pandemic has affected everyone differently, but it has shed light on important
issues universities across the country have been trying to tackle with the impending
return to in-person activities: mental health.
One important resource the community counts on is the UMD Help Center. One
team interviewed Leanna “Lily” Rathbun, a rising senior at the university and UMD Help
Center volunteer in peer counseling and the Crisis Intervention Hotline; she discussed
her experience as a worker during the COVID-19 health crisis and its effects on mental
health.
When taking calls at the Help Center, volunteers are unable to see phone
numbers or any identifying factors about the caller; they’re only given what each
individual discloses. They don’t hang up the phone unless it’s a severe circumstance,
but their goal remains the same; help everyone that asks for help.
Lily discusses the differences between the Help Center, which is student-run, and
the Counseling Center, which consists of licensed psychologists and social workers.
After your eighth session, they refer you elsewhere for a more long-term therapist. Lily
elaborates,
“What happened for me at the Counseling Center, was that after my eighth time,
they said they’d send me to a therapist; they have great referrals. The only reason it
worked for me was that they stayed on the phone with me until I actually scheduled an
appointment.”
 UMD’s Counseling Center has several resources available to help students
navigate their mental health concerns during the ongoing pandemic. These offer
strategies for coping, virtual guides and counseling sessions. If interested, there’s a
hotline available at 301-314-7651, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and an after-hours
crisis support line at 301-314-7651.
Although it has been a year filled with uncertainty and a heightened need for
mental health resources and awareness, the University of Maryland is hopeful the first
semester back will be a successful one; Students can be confident the university will
provide the appropriate help they need with any mental health concerns.