Depression has been one of the most talked-about topics since the pandemic crisis began, many students and adults alike have fallen victim to it, and it is pertinent to discuss it with relations to the roles of educational institutes in fighting this growing phenomenon.
This issue caused much anxiety because students had to stay home all the time, and they had to study online as well! Unfortunately, online education is not a good point for all individuals because they do not feel that free to ask all the questions and get profound answers to them. Thus, during this period, many students opened for themselves such companies like Custom Writings where they could get professional help with essay writing issues they faced.
Of course, physical anxiety is not the only disadvantage, the COVID-19 pandemic also causes much mental problems in students. If you are thinking about writing an essay on this topic, this article is a good starting point for you.
Since the inception of Covid-19, the world seems to have been hit by a total stand-still. Lockdowns upon lockdowns with no end to it, until recently with the news of vaccinations. The adverse effect the pandemic has had on communities, in general, is drastic, and among students, it is even worse as it has led to many falling depressed. According to mental health reports, 9.7% of youths in the US have severe major depression, a number that has risen from 9.2% in the last year.
With these numbers rising at alarming rates, there has been a conscious effort on the part of parents and particularly educational institutes to help prevent these surging numbers from increasing even further, and here is how they have been doing it.
Through сounseling and psychological services
Many educational institutions have always had these bodies and aspects of the school open to students who require special attention and communication. With the pandemic, these areas have become more active as more and more students require more channels to safely communicate and express themselves with the aid of professional help. With this in mind, educational institutions have made these services available both in-person for those who can afford to make it to the counseling sessions despite the overall safety restrictions and virtually for those who cannot make it.
Through counseling and psychological services that include the use of video calls, created virtual chat rooms for students and counselors to safely communicate, and scheduled therapy sessions, students can express themselves and get help in therapy sessions. With reports from parents, teachers, and educators, the therapists formulate programs through the use of counseling resources for self and social development to aid better communication and boost the progress level of the students involved.
Extra focus on the individual behavior of students
One of the many steps educational institutions have taken in their fight against depression is by paying extra attention to every behavior of each student and having report sheets formulated to keep track and to report any changes that would require assistance.
Many schools and colleges have put their educators and staff personnel through special training to study and follow-up on the individual behavior of students and report back to counselors and mental health specialists on the slightest changes. Keeping an eye out for changes such as retraction from activities, mood changes and swings in class, absent-mindedness, sudden violent outbursts, emotional meltdowns during class and class activities, and other signs, has helped educators notice and approach students who could be suffering from depression and other mental health issues due to the pandemic.
With the progress reports and information being shared amongst educators, facilitators, and counselors, major and general changes are noticed quickly as the reports cut across all aspects of school life, and that way, a general and quick diagnosis can be made and decisions on how to proceed for a positive change are implemented with the aid of the parents.
Creation of support groups within peers
One of the things noticed since the spike in depression is that many at times, students who suffer from depression and other related mental issues find it difficult to confide in those older than they are, and would recover better or open up better when amongst their peers.
For this, many educational institutions have created support groups consisting of students within the same age bracket in a way to encourage them to feel safe enough amongst their peers to speak up.
Through support groups of 5 – 10 students or in pairs, interaction is much more fluid as they feel at ease to discuss amongst themselves and also improve collectively. The advantage of these peer support groups is that they offer the students certain familiarity knowing that they are not alone in their struggles and that there are people of their age who do care about them and are willing to help them go through it all.
The pandemic has hit students greatly in terms of depression, and understanding the adverse effects of this depression on the overall survival and productivity of the student has spurred educational institutions to take proactive steps in preventing more cases. Through the provision of counseling and physiological services, extra monitoring, the establishment of support groups, interactive and learning curriculums amongst others, there is hope that these students can come out better after all this is over.
