COVID-19 and Mental Health
Originally published on May 1, 2021
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Mental Health at Queen’s University
ASUS Research and Recommendation’s Annual Report
The COVID-19 pandemic has appended a significant burden to the preexisting mental health crisis amongst postsecondary students, establishing a critical demand for accurate research and interventions. This study measures and extrapolates from both qualitative and quantitative data collected from a survey completed by 202 Queen’s University students using Google Forms and Microsoft Excel. In order to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on collective student mental health and associated concerns, participants answered various sets of questions pertaining to their academic, psychological, physical, social, financial, and household status in relation to the pandemic. The results indicate a strong correlation between the COVID-19 pandemic and negative outcomes in all categories of observation, markedly apparent in the academic, psychological, and social categories. Notably, at least 4 out of 5 students reported that the changes in both their social lives and in the delivery of academics since the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected their mental health. Survey results reveal multiple areas that require urgent institutional attention, including a need for more accessible and diverse mental health services, increased opportunity for interactions with peers and instructors throughout remote learning, and improved academic resources and remote accessibility.
On behalf of the ASUS Equity Commission, the Research and Recommendation committee is hopeful this report will inspire changes to the design and delivery of university services and ultimately benefit the mental health of students at Queen’s University.
This report, authored by the ASUS Research and Recommendations Committee of the Equity Commission, includes contributions from Yvonne Tan, Megan McLean, Emily Sutton and Jacqueline Tomazic.
