Mental health services are available to students free of charge in the USF St. Petersburg Wellness Center.
Courtesy of Annalise Anderson | The Crow‘s Nest
By Adriana Reeves
COVID-19 has produced a rollercoaster of emotions from students, faculty and staff at colleges across the country that have been exceedingly difficult to manage.
Schools, businesses and more have been forced to shut down and handle the unknown on a daily basis. With so much change, people’s mental health has taken a severe nosedive.
According to a study conducted by BMC Psychology, almost 60% of students surveyed reported increased depression related to COVID-19. The study also found college students had increased anxiety and feelings of loneliness during their remote learning experience.
“It is important to differentiate between someone seeking treatment for a diagnosed mental health condition versus someone experiencing general distress, which is a very normal reaction to an all-encompassing, chronic, and difficult stress event like the pandemic. Both can be true at once for a person, but they can also be mutually exclusive,” said Dr. Anita Sahgal, director of the Wellness Center and Student Accessibility Services.
During the pandemic, many students at universities across the country may have experienced heightened mental health-related problems, however, few sought treatment at the USF St. Petersburg Wellness Center.
“We actually saw a decrease in utilization which was common across universities last year,” Sahgal said.
Many students have responded positively to the return of in-person instruction. The in-person classes offer new opportunities for students to make connections with other people and join in on social activities around the campus.
“In-person classes do make me feel happier because they add purpose to my week. Most of my social time came from work or seeing my close friends, but now I can look forward to socializing at school,” senior mass communications major Sabrina Sebastiao said.
For many students, like Sebastiao, this is the first time they have had the opportunity to participate in in-person instruction and campus activities.
“I have never had anxiety before the pandemic, but since the pandemic started, with not going out or interacting with people, I have become really anxious,” junior mass communications student Samantha Skye said. “Before I was really good at speaking with people, whereas now I have a hard time communicating with and starting a conversation with someone.”
Skye hopes her new connections will last. “College is a great place for networking and I’m really excited to meet fellow students.”
Other than the social aspects, digital media major Autumn Reinhardt, was excited about the educational opportunities that come with in-person learning.
“I learn better in person. I feel like our education was just not as good online,” Reinhardt said.
There are a variety of resources available to students that are struggling with their mental health. At USF St. Petersburg, resources include online self-help, drop-in services, individual or group psychotherapy, and psychiatry.
Therapy sessions are free at the Wellness Center. Students seeking psychiatric help without insurance will have a $20 initial payment, followed by $10 payments for any other appointments.
For more information, visit the Wellness Center located on the second floor of the Student Life Center building.
