Over the course of the pandemic, the University Counseling Center (UCC) has witnessed significant increases in anxiety and depression among the student population.
“At the UCC we have seen an increase in pandemic-related anxiety specifically, such as fear of contracting COVID-19 or losing a loved one to the pandemic,” Dr. Tess Kilwein, the Director of Clinical Training at UCC, said.
In order to accommodate quarantining students during the height of the pandemic, UCC and the WellSpring Clinic adopted an encrypted tele-health system over Zoom.
“When you’re actually sitting in a room with me, I’m really getting a sense of you and how you’re responding to things,” Dr. Toi Geil, Director of UCC, said. “There’s just so many more auditory and visual cues to our interaction with each other.”
UW counseling centers, now offering in-person sessions, see firsthand how the pandemic is affecting the mental health of students.
“I’m seeing a lot of anxiety regarding the unknown in my clients. I think there’s a lot of anxiety surrounding getting sick- it’s almost as though quarantining is a punishment to be ashamed of,” Emily Simpson, a Master’s student at the WellSpring Counseling Clinic, said.
“A part of our intake paperwork now contains questions like, ‘Has Covid affected you?’ The majority of people are saying yes to some degree,” Simpson said.
Kilwein goes on to elaborate on elevated mental health concerns present nationwide.
“Across the country, there has been an exacerbation in substance misuse, interpersonal violence, and suicidal ideation concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Kilwein said.
According to a study conducted by Brown University in October, 32.8% of U.S. adults experienced elevated depression symptoms in 2021, compared to 27.8% of adults in the early months of the pandemic in 2020.
UCC has seen similar changes in student concerns over the past year.
“The top presenting issues for counseling have remained the same and include anxiety, depression, and academics within the top three,” Kilwein said. “Notably, in Fall of 2021, we saw the highest percentage of students presenting with concerns related to grief and loss,”
Geil partly accredits this overall decline in campus mental health to isolation and a lack of control over one’s circumstances.
“Covid has made it harder for people to connect and get support, and we as humans like consistency,” Geil said. “I think this lack of perceived stability has really contributed to anxiety- maybe into a sense of powerlessness.”
UCC and WellSpring counselors remain optimistic, confident in the temporary nature of these circumstances and the resilience of students.
“When we’re in a moment of struggle, we don’t see it as a moment or moments of struggle- we see it as a never-ending hell,” Dr. Geil said. “The reality is, things are constantly changing and we are going to keep moving forward.”
Those struggling with anxiety or depression are encouraged to seek help from UCC, WellSpring, or other mental health resources. More information regarding on-campus counseling facilities can be found on UW’s online directory.
