Most college students feel anxious about COVID-19, but less than a quarter of them are using campus mental health resources, according to a recent report by College Pulse, Course Hero and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA).
Researchers surveyed 3,500 college students in full-time, four-year undergraduate programs the week of Sept. 28, representing 196 universities.
One in five students described themselves as “constantly” anxious about the pandemic, and 56% of students felt at least “somewhat” anxious.
But 77% of student reported that they haven’t turned to university mental health supports. Only about 10% of students used any remote health services, like tele-health or tele-counseling, and less than 5% of students used grief counseling or support groups.
Meanwhile, over half of students – and 70% of “somewhat” or “very” anxious students – reported that they would have benefitted from more emotional support than they received in the past six months, with female students more likely to feel a lack of support than their male counterparts.
Why is there a disparity between the mental health services students want and need and the university supports they’re actually using? What barriers might lie in the way?
It’s partly a “proximity” problem, said Dr. Kevin Kruger, president and CEO of NASPA. As students take their courses either partially or entirely online, more students are farther away from campus-based resources. And prior research shows students use health resources more often if those services are more “central to where they are.”
