WACO, Texas — A new national survey shows the majority of college students are continuing to struggle with their mental health as the pandemic continues.
The 'Student Voice' survey by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse collected responses from 2,000 college students in March 2022. The majority of students in the survey rated their current mental health as "poor" or "fair", while just 32% rated it "good" and 9% rated it "excellent".
Counselors at Central Texas universities like Baylor and McLennan Community College are seeing the trends first hand.
"What we've seen here at the clinic and what the research shows is a pretty significant increase in anxiety, levels of stress, levels of isolation," said co-director of MCC's student counseling center, Chris Wilder.
As more students report mental health struggles, more are turning to resources like campus counseling centers. Wilder said the center at McLennan Community College has already had more appointments in the current school year than all of the 2020-2021 school year.
At Baylor Counseling Center, senior associate director Randal Boldt reports similar trends.
"There absolutely is an increase in students seeking help. I think that at the counseling center, we're seeing an increase of almost 25 percent," he said.
The Student Voice survey, however, shows more students selecting winter 2021-2022 as the best season for their mental health than any other time since the pandemic began.
Boldt said while there will likely be lasting mental health effects long beyond the pandemic, loosening COVID restrictions may bring a sense of hope to students.
"Hope is kind of one of the things that is most helpful for mental health," Boldt said.
Both counselors encourage students to ask for help if they continue to face mental health struggles going forward.
For more information about the Baylor Counseling Center, you can visit its website here.
To learn more about the MCC Student Counseling Center, you can visit its website here.
