Benjamin Franklin famously said that “Time is money.” If that were the case, many of us who went through the Covid-19 lockdown days would be rich. Instead, we are left with mental health difficulties years afterwards.
Time is a strange thing. I still write 2020 on my papers. I still say that I’m 12 sometimes. It seems like switching between in-person and online school was a year ago. It was actually four. The impact of those days still affects students’ mental health, mainly through isolation, lack of sleep, and grades.
One of the main issues with Covid-19 was mental health. More than 2.7 million (16%) youths reported a major or severe depressive episode in 2019-20 according to Mental Health America. 60% of youths with major depression did not receive help. When CV students were anonymously surveyed about their experiences, one student said, “I went through a lot of struggles. I had really bad depression, as well as social anxiety. I never got treated for anything, so for the last three years of my life have been a major mess. I am a lot better now, but COVID really messed up my life.”
Even more students reported anxiety. One student said, “I’ve been struggling more with socializing and getting to know people at school after the pandemic.” Another stated “Social life.” These are all major problems that current high school students are struggling with. And it seems that we are all sleeping on these problems, yet we still don’t get nearly enough sleep.
57.9% of CV students said that they currently get enough sleep. You’re probably wondering, “Why does sleep matter?” According to Colombia Psychiatry, not receiving enough sleep has been linked with multiple mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and even suicide. The lack of sleep can also cause major amounts of stress, which can then lead to breakouts, causing insecurity. Stress can also negatively affect a student’s grades.
During Covid, grades did not operate in the same way. Many students struggled to receive a proper education due to the amount that they had to shift between in and online school. Online education was also a big issue. Teachers would assign optional work, and students chose not to do that work. Upon arriving at in-person school, many teachers assumed that students had the background knowledge and moved on without review.
After being asked about what CV students would label as their number one cause of stress, many respond with online school. One student said, “Jumping right back into social interaction after being isolated for so long.” Another said, “I was constantly scared of having to go back to online learning again. I floundered with online school and going back, even if it was just for a few weeks, would just tank my grades.” The consistent juggling of online and in-person school had a very negative effect on student’s mental health and grades, especially those who had never done online school before.
Covid-19 still impacts student’s mental health and education. Over Covid, many things went wrong, but things are beginning to change for the better. If you or anyone you know is struggling, please don’t be afraid to reach out and get some help.
Covid-19 Still Has Mental Health Impact Years Later
By Ediya Karayeva ‘26
Benjamin Franklin famously said that “Time is money.” If that were the case, many of us who went through the Covid-19 lockdown days would be rich. Instead, we are left with mental health difficulties years afterwards.
Time is a strange thing. I still write 2020 on my papers. I still say that I’m 12 sometimes. It seems like switching between in-person and online school was a year ago. It was actually four. The impact of those days still affects students’ mental health, mainly through isolation, lack of sleep, and grades.
One of the main issues with Covid-19 was mental health. More than 2.7 million (16%) youths reported a major or severe depressive episode in 2019-20 according to Mental Health America. 60% of youths with major depression did not receive help. When CV students were anonymously surveyed about their experiences, one student said, “I went through a lot of struggles. I had really bad depression, as well as social anxiety. I never got treated for anything, so for the last three years of my life have been a major mess. I am a lot better now, but COVID really messed up my life.”
Even more students reported anxiety. One student said, “I’ve been struggling more with socializing and getting to know people at school after the pandemic.” Another stated “Social life.” These are all major problems that current high school students are struggling with. And it seems that we are all sleeping on these problems, yet we still don’t get nearly enough sleep.
57.9% of CV students said that they currently get enough sleep. You’re probably wondering, “Why does sleep matter?” According to Colombia Psychiatry, not receiving enough sleep has been linked with multiple mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and even suicide. The lack of sleep can also cause major amounts of stress, which can then lead to breakouts, causing insecurity. Stress can also negatively affect a student’s grades.
During Covid, grades did not operate in the same way. Many students struggled to receive a proper education due to the amount that they had to shift between in and online school. Online education was also a big issue. Teachers would assign optional work, and students chose not to do that work. Upon arriving at in-person school, many teachers assumed that students had the background knowledge and moved on without review.
After being asked about what CV students would label as their number one cause of stress, many respond with online school. One student said, “Jumping right back into social interaction after being isolated for so long.” Another said, “I was constantly scared of having to go back to online learning again. I floundered with online school and going back, even if it was just for a few weeks, would just tank my grades.” The consistent juggling of online and in-person school had a very negative effect on student’s mental health and grades, especially those who had never done online school before.
Covid-19 still impacts student’s mental health and education. Over Covid, many things went wrong, but things are beginning to change for the better. If you or anyone you know is struggling, please don’t be afraid to reach out and get some help.
Sources
https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america
https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health#:~:text=While%20insomnia%20can%20be%20a,anxiety%2C%20and%20even%20suicidal%20ideation.
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/abes/tables/grade.htm#MH
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/04/opinion/coronavirus-mental-health-teenagers.html
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7141a2.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9915904/