TW: Discussions of mental health and suicide.
The 2020-2021 academic year was a chaotic and turbulent one from start to finish. Students were sent back to university in September 2020 with most universities adopting a new ‘blended-learning’ approach. Although some of the usual trademarks of starting university such as club nights and activity fairs were absent, it was confirmed that most students would be returning to university accommodation.
Soon after students returned to campus, covid cases began to skyrocket. After ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ and schools returning after the summer, a rise in cases was inevitable.
The student experience at the beginning of the year varied dramatically depending on where you were based. In the week beginning 5th October, the University of Sheffield reported 430 student cases of Covid-19 alone. Similar situations were happening across the country, especially prevalent in cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool. The drastic number of cases among students led to an isolation crisis.
Thousands of students were isolating in university accommodation, many of whom were first-years and knew nobody nearby to rely upon for support. Some universities delivered care-packages, others provided contacts for supplies and others offered nothing at all. There were extreme incidences of students being locked in their accommodation in Manchester because the university simply didn’t know how to control this situation.
Transitioning to university can take a toll on mental health regardless. There are so many new faces, places and situations to discover and it can be quite draining and overwhelming at times. However, the freshers of 2020 were faced with slightly different challenges. Many students struggled as they were unable to meet ‘their’ people. Those who didn’t get on with their flatmates were left with no options but to stay inside with them.
Universities were overwhelmed in trying to navigate this situation which unfortunately had some tragic consequences. Suicide rates in the UK are at their highest since the early 2000s and sadly the pandemic has contributed to more individuals reaching crisis point. Back in October, it was reported that a young man had taken his life whilst in lockdown in Manchester University accommodation, which his family have attributed to a lack of support from the institution. Mind conducted a survey which revealed that 34% of young people felt their mental health had got worse during the pandemic and questions have been raised over whether the government and universities are doing enough in this student mental health epidemic.
This problem was only worsened by the announcement on 4 January 2021 that UK would be returning to a full lockdown. Students were told not to return to their accommodation or return home if they were currently at university. Some students were stranded alone in their student houses, while others were left in environments that may not have been suitable for studying or were mentally-damaging to remain in for long periods of time.
As accommodation was rented, students could technically move between their university residence and home. When talking to my flatmate, we reminisced over the moral dilemma of trying to decide whether to stay at home or return to university. Heaps of responsibility and pressure were placed on students to make ‘the right decision’. This guilt was now another mental strain for students to deal with.
She said:
“it just felt like we were never going to get to experience this ‘normal’ Uni life. We finally settled in and then we weren’t allowed back.”
This lockdown lasted for three months, and limited exercise or socialisation which many people relied upon for their mental health. All university teaching, aside from essential courses like medicine or nursing, was now online until further notice. Most students barely made it onto campus at all in the 2020-21 academic year despite the ‘blended-learning’ approach, yet another contributing factor to this decline in mental health.
The Office for National Statistics released survey findings in March 2021, which showed that ‘almost two-thirds (63%) of students indicated that their well-being and mental health had worsened since the start of the autumn term 2020’.
The situation for students has constantly changed throughout the 2020-21 academic year. Being sent away to university, feeling isolated in accommodation, transitioning between online and face-to-face teaching and all whilst dealing with all the other aspects of the pandemic.
As we move forward to the next academic year, there is both anxiety and hope. The majority of restrictions in the UK have been relaxed and face-to-face teaching can resume. While many students are excited to get back to their ‘normal’ student lifestyle, others are extremely anxious about returning to campus. Unfortunately, clinically-vulnerable and some international students will be excluded from this exciting and joyous occasion.
Hopefully, the 2021-22 cohort will not be navigating a series of lockdowns, but will have their own challenges to face. Perhaps the most delicate task of all: recovering from the student mental health epidemic.
If you need help or assistance please contact:
Samaritans 24/7 freephone: 116 123
Text SHOUT to 85258 (24/7 free service)
Sheffield Nightline (8pm-8am): 0114 222 8787
SAMHS Student Access to Mental Health Support (University of Sheffield only)
