Variants Fuel Decline in Student Mental Health

Variants Fuel Decline in Student Mental Health

Posted on January 13, 2022

Almost nine in 10 college students think campuses are facing a mental health crisis, according to a new survey from TimelyMD. The survey of nearly 1,700 college students found that 88% believe there is a mental health crisis on college campuses. “With the Omicron variant, the uncertainty and isolation that we saw at the beginning of the pandemic really is back,” said Barb Solish, director of youth and young adult initiatives at NAMI. “And our students are struggling because of it. So, bottom line, how can we reasonably expect them to be back to ‘normal’ when life is anything but that?” College mental health systems were underfunded, understaffed and underprioritized before the pandemic started, Solish said, and they’re stretched even thinner now given the increased demand for their services. “Schools really need to recognize that it’s time to invest in the total well-being of their students,” Solish said.