Priorities for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college student mental health

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has already produced profound impacts on college students, with unprecedented directives for student relocation from their college campuses and dormitories mid-semester and coursework that took place through virtual learning. The current disruptions and anticipated potential long-term changes call for immediate prioritization regarding next steps for addressing college mental health and well-being. This viewpoint article highlights two urgent priorities for addressing current college mental health needs: the development of strategies for ensuring mental health service access, and intentional outreach to college students with special circumstances. The current crisis also represents an opportunity for campus administrators, mental health professionals, researchers, and policymakers to leverage innovative models of care as well as identity-related student assets, strengths, and resilience-promoting factors to support students’ eventual return to campus and to respond more effectively to future massive disruptions.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• mental health
• stress
• students
• universities

Acknowledgments

We thank Emily Zhang and Ga Tin Fifi Wong for their assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

Support for this manuscript was provided through the Mary A. Tynan Faculty Fellowship and a NIMH K23 MH 107714-01 A1 award (to C.H.L.) and by the National Science Foundation #2027553 (to. H.C.H. and C.H.L.).