As the pandemic wears on into the winter, mental illness knocks on our door. The combination of social isolation, not being able to get out of the house, and seasonal depression make for the perfect storm.
I won’t say I have it all figured out now, but I am no longer overwhelmed by a sense of dread every day. I tried picking up new hobbies, reading books, video-chatting friends who were now sprinkled across the country, buying things I didn’t need like aromatherapy diffusers and plants. None of it helped. I was feeling socially isolated. At my previous apartment, my roommates and neighbors were both quarantine buddies and close friends.
Hold your judgement—Relaxing my pandemic protocol was a huge stress reliever. FaceTime is no substitute for in-person social interaction. In fact, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy “has brought attention to the widespread experience of loneliness as a public health concern in itself, pointing to its association with reduced lifespan and greater risk of both mental and physical illnesses” (1). An often-neglected fact is that social isolation can pose just as great a risk as the virus itself.
Social isolation poses a unique risk to young people, especially because we are used to being surrounded by others all day long in our residence halls, in our classes, clubs, and parties. In the words of Marcus and Gold of The Atlantic:
“Young people face different risks from older adults: Although the former may transmit the virus to others, they are at substantially lower risk of complications from coronavirus infection than older people—but at far greater risk of psychiatric disorders that can be triggered or worsened by social isolation” (2).
Social isolation, however, is not the only factor putting downward pressure on young people’s mental health. Financial stressors are absolutely a factor, with many college campuses laying off student staff. In the years to come, this will translate to job insecurity in the workforce, staggering unemployment rates, and an economic downturn akin to the Great Depression that will take years to recover (3).
UMass student and RA Marco Maldonado cited the existential fear that our lives may be taken away from us at a moment’s notice. During a time of shutdowns and isolation, we have a unique excess of time to think about all that we have lost. All of these factors “get into people’s head[s] making them dependent on drugs, alcohol or other toxic behavior[s] which ironically can deteriorate your health when a pandemic is going on and the best weapon against it once you get it is a healthy and strong immune system.”
