Where to from Here? Contemplating the Impact of COVID-19 on South African Students and Student Counseling Services in Higher Education

ABSTRACT

The unprecedented magnitude and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have rendered it a highly disruptive and traumatic phenomenon. This paper considers the impact of Covid-19 on South African students and Student Counseling Services in Higher Education. The paper specifically reflects on shifts in student mental health and psycho-social vulnerability as a consequence of the pandemic, and the increased demand for the student counselor advocacy role. The inevitable need for technological shifts to traditional student counseling practice is considered, as well as the transformational dilemma or “double-edged sword” inherent in such change, given the historical, psycho-social, and economic complexities of South African society which impact on student access and participation in Higher Education. The paper lastly considers the adoption of a customized or “blended” student counseling approach that incorporates traditional and technological-based elements, and that can accommodate student personal and mental health needs, preferences as well as contextual peculiarities and challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• Covid-19 pandemic
• student mental health
• psycho-social vulnerability
• student counselor advocacy
• “blended” approach

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. “Black South African” encompasses African, Colored and Indian people

2. Different terms and descriptions are used in the literature when referring to technology-based mental health interventions. These include Telemental Health (TMH), internet counseling, E-therapy and teletherapy (HEMHA, 2019).