Over the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted the lives of people around the world.
In the United States, the death rate has reached an upwards of 90,000 and the unemployment rate increased to 14.7% in April, according to Statista. With social distancing policies and stay-at-home orders in place throughout the country, schools and businesses have transitioned to remote learning and work.
“It has significantly changed almost everyone’s life in terms of their normal routines, their lifestyles and how they spend their days,” said Dr. Annelle Primm, senior medical advisor at The Steve Fund.
The rush to go online significantly impacted college students. Distance learning became an added stressor as not every student had access to the necessary technology and Wi-Fi at home.
With many schools closing their campus housing too, students already facing food and housing insecurity found themselves in a precarious situation. Around half of all two-year students and almost one-third of four-year college students experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or both in 2019, according to the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice at Temple University.
Additionally, for many students who returned to their families for quarantine, home may not be a safe haven. Instead, home might mean facing physical and emotional abuse.
In consequence, the changes and uncertainties of the pandemic have negatively affected the mental health of young people and adults in the United States.
