Is Mental Health Declining? University of Dayton Students in a Pandemic

This research asks how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of college students at the University of Dayton. Mental health on college campuses can be strenuous as students deal with the anxieties of living independently, classwork, as well as finding their career path. With a combination of these existing stressors and now a pandemic, students at the University of Dayton endure social isolation and a lack of in-person classes. The purpose of this study is to identify the reasons, if any, that have caused a decline in students’ mental health. The study was conducted through an online survey which was sent out via email and messages to students and professors who were asked to forward it to their students. Utilizing the organizations and clubs that I am in I received fifty-eight responses. The survey included Likert scale and open ended questions. Major findings were that many students feel as though their mental health has been ignored when it comes to their schoolwork, and they feel that their mental health has gotten worse since the pandemic. Numerous students explain that they do their best to be around their friends and other people as well as focusing on physical exercise to help with their mental health. Despite a smaller response from first-year students, the study was able to determine that 68% of students are moderately concerned about caring for their mental health. I conclude that there needs to be an increase of access and availability for mental health support from the university so that students can seek the help that they need.https://ecommons.udayton.edu/stander_posters/3245/thumbnail.jp