Since the pandemic, mental health challenges have been a topic of conversation that everyone is focused on, specifically students and the way they are being supported by their universities. Before COVID-19, students had each other in classes and as a community on-campus. When in classes the feeling of being surrounded by peers who were in the same boat dealing with the same heavy workload was a type of support students did not know they needed until it was taken away from them. Interacting with professors in class, and being able to create relationships and have clear communication are things students need in order to feel like they are on the right path and should keep working hard. When school went virtual this was all lost and while we learned to adapt, no virtual connection is the same as in-person. Students were left to manage their classes and lives in a completely new way, transitioning from a loud and expressive support system to a network that was no longer visible.
Northeastern has provided mental health services previous to the pandemic, isolation and strict COVID-19 protocols. Find at Northeastern praises itself in being a support system available to students at all times. Students can call the resource center anytime and make an appointment with a trained counselor through Northeastern or be connected with a local professional to meet with virtually or in-person.
Other than talking with a counselor there are other online resources: Headspace and Icare self-guided support. Headspace is free access to mindfulness and meditation practices to help students build healthy habits and work on their mental health. Icare is a mental health self-guided skill building system to help students learn how to cope with depression, anxiety, stress and more. Both resources are accessible and free for students to use and can be a different type of support rather than talking to someone or trying to book an appointment with a counselor.
The Find website provides statistics about the amount of students who struggle with their mental health. The statistics could help students visualize how common it is to struggle with mental health while at school and make them feel less alone. The resources that Northeastern advocates for having are available to all students at Northeastern undergraduate, graduate and law. Students are eligible for five free therapy sessions per semester and there are also specialized types of care referrals.
The university’s Health and Counseling Service also show they have support groups that students should feel comfortable taking part in for a confidential and non judgemental space. Not advertised other than on the Find website, there are different support groups which can help students learn to cope and feel supported based on specific events or issues in their life. Students can submit an interest form for the group they would like to join and then will be reached out to by the group facilitator with next steps to get involved.
These support groups are only available to current Northeastern students who are in Massachusetts and are held on Eastern Standard Time. The university does not make it clear what they are doing for students who are on co-op nationally or globally. While they might not be taking classes or living on campus, students who go on co-op are still considered part of the Northeastern community and should have access to all mental health services.
While Northeastern has a lot of resources available to the student-body, as the community grows so should the support. Being a part of such a high-pressure environment where independence and excellence is expected from students there are no doubt effects on mental health. It is the school’s job to provide the necessary tools for students to be able to maintain a healthy life-style and succeed especially under the new circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.