Anna Yusza felt the deepening toll of COVID-19 during the spring, months before she enrolled at Quinnipiac University where strict social distancing guidelines and mask-wearing made college a less than normal experience for most students.
Yet Yusza, 18, a first-year accounting major at the Hamden, Connecticut, school, knew what to expect based on her high school senior year.
“I never got along with my family, so being stuck at home with them for months, has had a really negative effect on me,” said Yusza. “I wasn’t allowed to work or go out with my friends at all, which I used to do every single day before.”
Yusza’s experience helped her get through the initial months of college.
“Despite the pandemic, I’ve met a lot of people with different majors and from different places,” said Yusza, who is from Middletown, Connecticut. “I like having some classes online because it gives me more time between classes to do some work and relax.”
Her experience, however, may be the exception to the experience of tens of thousands of students across the U.S.
COVID-19 has overwhelmed college mental health counselors in addition to hospital emergency rooms as many students have symptoms of experienced stress, anxiety, loneliness, isolation and fear. There may be a vaccine soon to contain the virus, but one does not exist for the hidden pandemic that is attacking mental health.
Psychologist Nikhi S. Koushik studied the impact of COVID-19 and found massive social, economic and environmental impacts that are undermining mental health.
“As a clinical psychologist, I have noticed that the most directly noticeable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been on clients with pre-existing depression, ” Koushik wrote in the COVID-19 study that was released on May 21. “These clients were already struggling with significant motivation, social isolation, a lack of structure and routine, and low levels of physical activity. It makes sense that all of these factors have now been heightened, exacerbating the propensity toward ruminative thoughts and suicidal ideation.”
For many Quinnipiac students such as 18-year-old first-year business major Gabrielle Bynum, COVID-19 has created a rollercoaster of mental health issues.
“I feel like I have handled my mental health struggles well though,” said Bynum, “And it’s taken a lot of effort, attention and self-care moments but I think I’m stronger than I ever have been and that’s good.”
The transition to online learning and navigating a campus where faces are hidden masks has been difficult, Bynum said.
“Starting QU during the pandemic has sucked because I mostly looked forward to making a lot of friends and networking but it’s hard to do so with COVID,” Bynum said. “I’m a hands-on classroom environment learner, so not being able to go to class sometimes has been difficult too.”
That impact will amplify existing challenges for individuals, families, and communities in seeking relief. Experts expect to see increased deaths from suicide and drug overdoses.
“The magnitude of this second wave is likely to overwhelm the already frayed mental health system, leading to access problems, particularly for the most vulnerable persons,” the researchers, all with NYU Langone Health, wrote in the study.
Even before the pandemic, the stress, burnout, and anxiety of everyday life of college students, seemed to be an ongoing battle before anyone heard the word COVID-19. But now, the current stress, isolation, and anxiety are normal for anyone living during this global pandemic.
Quinnipiac is seeking to help students with mental health issues, according to Ariela Rita, the director of counseling services.
“There’s definitely an increase in mental health issues, especially around hospitalizations, because a lot of resources that were previously in-person have transitioned to ritual and especially with younger adults and children that hasn’t necessarily been very helpful,” Rita said. “ Hospitals are seeing these presentations, etc. Because a lot of the services they would have been available otherwise have shut down.”
Rita said Quinnipiac has experienced a modest increase in cases requiring counseling but not like the load other schools in Connecticut are handling. Both the University of Connecticut and Yale have noted seeing a significantly higher number of students seeking treatment than Quinnipiac’s 23, Rita said.
Rita also said that the college needs Fresh Check Day, especially during the pandemic to remain students of the importance of mental health.
On Oct. 15, 2020, Fresh Check Day encouraged students to advocate and check in with themselves. The event is an interactive mental health fair that includes peer-run interactive events, free food, music, and exciting prizes and giveaways.
According to the freshcheckday site, “Fresh Check Day aims to create an approachable and hopeful atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health and help to build a bridge between students and the mental health resources available on campus, in the community, and nationally.”
Tami Reilly, The director of fitness and well-being stands with a student volunteer at the Health and Wellness booth to promote wellness programs and activities. Programs run by the department help students cope with their mental health during COVID-19. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Fresh Check Day looks different this year due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop faculty from running the event and students from checking out the interactive booths, games and raffles to promote mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding it. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Athena Cuttle, The president of the gender and sexuality alliance, stands with other members to promote mental health with an ally chain, to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, especially during COVID-19. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
A faculty and student volunteer stand in front of the One Word, One Voice, One Life booth with the goal to promote suicide prevention by educating Connecticut residents and students. Asking the question can reduce the isolation a person in crisis feels and offers hope. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Students stand around the Nine out of Ten booth. The booth spreads awareness to the fact that One in ten college students contemplates suicide. That means nine out of ten students have the opportunity to help each one who is struggling. Take the Nine out of Ten pledge: be aware, speak up, reach out, and help someone especially during these tough times. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Student volunteers stand in front of the National Institute Of Mental Health booth to promote the largest scientific organization which is dedicated to research focused on the understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health, especially during COVID-19. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Fresh check Day might have been smaller due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop students from coming out and checking out booths to learn how to both advocate for mental health along with how to check in with themselves. (Photo by Marianna Rappa) 
Volunteers from both the health center and counseling center, managed the check in booth for students wanting to check out the mental health day fair. (Photo by Marianna Rappa)
Sacred Heart University is also trying to help its students with mental health issues, according to Mary Jo Mason, the director of student wellness services.
“We are continuing to offer group and individual counseling,” Mason said. “Also, the sweet peer educators are piloting a Project Connect program where students get together in small groups-via Zoom-to meet other people they would not have otherwise.”
According to Mason, Sacred Heart counseling is fully online and is experiencing an increase in cases involving students with anxiety and isolation issues.
“We have experienced a few computer glitches but otherwise, this was a straightforward transition,” Mason said.
“So we see it in the big world,” said Rita. “But in the microcosm of QU right now we’re doing well. Humans are still having problems that haven’t changed. We’re not going from zero to 100. You know, pre-pandemic students had issues and students are having issues right now.”
Mental health affects everyone, especially at Quinnipiac
Quinnipiac offers students the opportunity to see counselors either in-person or through Zoom video meetings. “I think there was a lot of resistance on a lot of people’s parts. To that understandably so, counseling therapy is very personal,” Rita said.
For both the health center and the counseling center, getting into the swing of things, especially with Zoom and telehealth therapy has been a challenge, due to students having fewer health resources in person, due to the global pandemic.
It is something that predicated itself on privacy, confidentiality, this kind of very intimate relationship with WiFi and their therapist, Rita said.
“And being able to utilize nonverbal communication facial cues body language,” Rita said. All of those things are things that you know we use in therapy so traditional one on one. That’s been in the works for several years, but definitely, that pandemic was forced into the front and you know really left. People would have very little options as far as you know services.”
Transitioning to tele-health therapy hasn’t been easy, especially for both the counseling center and the health center at Quinnipiac. The virus has pushed mental health to the forefront of the university’s latest COVID-19 safety protocols, released on Nov. 6, 2020.
“We had to transition very quickly to train our staff very quickly,” Rita said. “I think that I’ve seen a transition in my staff and you know in myself. Convenience sees comfort with the pandemic. And that’s something you know that Telehealth therapy provides.”
Telehealth therapy has become an important tool, especially during the pandemic
Telehealth therapy has become an important tool for people living during this pandemic, due to its convenience for people both struggling with mental health issues or experiencing things like stress, anxiety and depression that have been affecting individuals around the globe.
MEMD Is a telehealth and urgent care company that is based in Phoenix, Arizona. The company has been around for ten years and has nearly 5 million members nationwide. It provides telehealth services for common medical issues, as well as telebehavioral health services for emotional and mental health concerns for all individuals.
“I think certainly over the last six to nine months since we have been hit with the pandemic, I think mental health has become much more important, talked about and people are starting to focus on it more,” said Ellen Goodman, marketing director of MEMD. “We have seen an uptick in volume. We’re talking three to four times the amount of volume that we’ve seen in previous months, during the last six months and more utilization out of that service line that we have seen before.”
Goodman said that universities and colleges have started to take interest in their company, due to mental health issues increasing during the pandemic among young adults and college students.
“We’ve seen a lot of universities and colleges start to take interest in providing this type of service more than we’ve ever seen before,”said Goodman. “This is important for our students, faculty and staff and everyone else to have access to something like this because it’s much more appealing than driving and heading into an office.”
Mental health has many challenges and hardships
Goodman said that there are some limitations to tele-health therapy, but sees no reason to avoid it.
“I mean, I think that there are limitations,” said Goodman. “I wouldn’t say cons, I would say there’s some limitation, we don’t go below a certain age. So there are some child limitations that you have, typically, under a certain age that requires more play therapy.”
Jon Surratt, 20, a third-year journalism major from Elkridge, Maryland, said he has struggled with mental health issues stemming from the pandemic.
“I’ve always understood I have some mental health issues. But I just never went out of my way to really talk about it,” said Surratt. “I was met with backlash, pre-pandemic and it was a lot easier to deal with it pre-pandemic because of all the stressors that were available and also because everything was open and available to you.”
Surratt said that he still experiences hardships with his mental health due to a combination of physical restrictions and his emotional personality. Still, he found hobbies and the time to help.
“I mean, it can go up and down, definitely, with how I’m feeling,” Surratt said. “Today was a pretty good day. But if we were just talking about an average day, I’d wake up, go on a run, lift and just have that downtime. Then after that, it’s just busywork along with classes and people needing me for a zoom call. Because after the gym, it’s hard to get those things done.”
Surratt said he was inspired by both Mental Health Day and his own journey promote on Twitter mental health awareness to support others with the same issues.
Mental health needs to be discussed pre-Covid
“I think it was both,” Surratt said. I think there should always be aware of mental health. I spoke to one of my friends about it and it really made me think about my own mental health. I do want people who have issues to go get some help.
“But I do feel like there are not enough outlets. I think if we have a better understanding of what people deal with, we are better off and happier, ” Surratt said. “Especially with this pandemic, I think tensions do arise. We are still cooped up in a little bubble right now with Quinnipiac. So I feel like, I do want people to go get that help. And, you know, people need a hug and people just want to talk. “
Ali Warshavsky, 30, a Quinnipiac alumna from East Hartford, Connecticut, said she revealed her mental health struggles during the pandemic on Twitter to publicize Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual event sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
As a reporter living during the pandemic, Warshavsky had to be tested more than her fair share of times while also wearing a mask and filming herself, without a team or a crew 
Warshavsky edits audio in a closet during COVID-19 showing the tougher side of working from home 
Even during the Pandemic, Warshavsky had to work a few jobs to make ends meet. Including a job for News 12.
“So in college, and I think it went in waves and luckily my freshman year in college was just waking up dreading the day through finding some happy moments,” Warshavsky said. “I think that then you graduate though, and everything you know, when you have anxiety changes because it is not your friend. And so you go from this comfort zone, these girls that I’ve now been living with from sophomore year to hey, you need to move to a new city, and find a job and have a new routine. So that definitely was tough.”
Warshavsky said that even though she struggled during college, she was inspired to become more interested in mental health and COVID-19 and why the science behind mental health is important to know.
If we’re going to combat diseases like COVID that is also causing anxiety and isolation, then we need to talk about it pre COVID
Ali Warshavsky, an advocate for mental health and alumna from Quinnipiac.
“And I just think that while we’re in this COVID era, and people need to, they need to learn that science is very important. And there’s a science behind mental illness as well that people don’t make this up, that there are chemical imbalances that there are things that can help,” Warshavsky said. “There are proven ways of helping people and there’s also proven ways of hurting them further, right. And what people were dealing with before because coming up now, but I don’t think it did as much until people started talking about the isolation COVID had, and the effects of it.”
Warshavsky said her work as a journalist has provided a platform to raise mental health awareness..
“We’re in this weird world of journalists being hated on and I think I’ve been very vocal. This is a few months ago about how I felt about people treating journalists. I’ve been very vocal about the migraine disorder that I suffer from,” Warshavsky said. “ The other day, I thought to myself, why don’t you ever talk about something that is a massive part of your life that you still struggle with till this day. I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts that talk about career growth and self-health. And these people who I admire talk about their decisions to go to therapy. And I thought, why don’t I admit this? Why don’t I talk about it? I can relate to this so much.”
Kevin Meiselman, 22, of Warren, New Jersey, is another Quinnipiac alumni who uses his skills to make sure the public understands mental health issues. He started a podcast on mental health in 2018 while in school.
“First of all, I have my own struggles with mental health,” Meiselman said. “ I was actually diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of eight. So it’s pretty much been a part of my life ever since, you know, I can form memories. So inherently, I’ve kind of had this compassion and empathy for the subject. I was able to just work on so many of my anxieties and insecurities, and, you know, so many things that so many other people are dealing with. And it gave me just a lot of lessons and insight to, you know, not only be able to help myself now but now, you know, I want to help others who are struggling with, with very similar things to those I struggle with.”
Meiselman’s Behind The Mind Podcast is dedicated to providing a platform for people to share stories of personal adversity to inspire hope in those currently suffering. It’s also meant to enlighten and inform people who are unfamiliar with mental health struggles and the problems they create.
Meiselman said he believes if people acknowledge mental health issues, their lives, and the lives of others who suffer will improve.
“And unfortunately, you know, not everyone has, the family support I have, and, you know, the people in their life to understand so I just try to start the conversation by, you know, doing this podcast, which has had 18 episodes so far, ” Meiselman said.
“And I’ve just interviewed people who have struggled with mental health before, you know, their specific disorders or issues,” Meiselman said. “And you know, how they got through it, and how they’re trying to help people now. So just from the natural, you know, my natural empathy for the issue and now just wanting to raise awareness and reduce stigma, because especially now it’s more important than ever.”
Meiselman said that he wants to feature more guests on his podcast even as he posts an increasing amount of information on his blog and social media accounts.
“I’m currently trying to get some new guests. I’ve been in touch with NHL players agents, I’ve had some pro athletes in the past,” Meiselman said. “You know, it’s, it’s really hard, like, because I’m doing it all by myself, I don’t have a team helping me. So my goals right now are just to create more episodes and actually evolve it into a website and a brand.”
Meiselman said he understands that mental health is a process that is complex and that his media efforts must adapt to new issues.
“So blogging, behind the mind, media, is what I’ve been doing. And I did a post about suicidal ideation,” Meiselman said. “And you know, how people aren’t alone. There’s just so much going on and I shared a dark week that I had, while I’ve been stuck at home, isolation has been pretty tough. So I’m trying to evolve it.”
Meiselman said that he puts a lot of time and care into each podcast to make sure each features an emotional narrative line to underscore the importance of the topic. He also wants to make sure he attracts gets who are qualified to discuss the issues he features.
“I started it in January of 2018. And I’d say on average, I do about once a month,” said Meiselman. “Because it is hard on my own to get qualified guests, you know. I could get a lot of people who might not be the best speakers and everything, and you know, I just don’t know if that’s like the best look for the show. “
Meiselman said he approaches each show with a seriousness of purpose.
“I think it’s better to put out really, really good episodes,” said Meiselman. “And take proper care with that. Because it’s such a serious issue. You don’t want, you know, the wrong person being the spokesperson for a certain issue and someone taking it the wrong way.”
Meiselman said he has to overcome often painful memories when producing his shows.
“You have to learn to love discomfort, I would say,” Meiselman said. “And that’s why, you know, I think I’m doing better than I probably would have been if I hadn’t already been through a journey of mental health stuff, you know, up to this point. So I think 2020 has been bad, but also I think it made me stronger. So I like to look at it that way.”
Quinnipiac will address mental health on campus
Quinnipiac will continue to address mental health issues by adding innovative approaches to help student well-being in recognition of the rise in cases caused by the pandemic, according to Tami Reilly, director of fitness and well being at the university.
“I do think the university is providing many programs and outlets,” said Reilly.“ We need the students to be willing to try them out to see what works best for them and what they are comfortable with. I would love students to be able to identify resources on campus and practices that help them stay grounded and alleviate stress. Whether that is from physical activity, a program that helped them, a person they can talk to who helps, journaling, music … anything!”
Reilly said that along with Quinnipiac’s new programs, the university has partnered with her to create some programs that can be conducted via Zoom or in-person to promote fitness and well-being for students. Reilly herself also has a self-care podcast called Living Well While Living Online that she encourages students to check out.
Mental health is a serious issue that should not be ignored. During this pandemic, it has become potent among young people trying to manage their stress during the pandemic. Mental health should be discussed weekly and people should be able to receive treatment and help anywhere they are.
For more information:
Quinnipiac wellness programs and hotlines
(Photo by Marianna Rappa)
To view these programs, visit: www.imleagues.com
Quinnipiac has created a on-demand class library, which includes yoga and meditations for students to do whenever they need to or have time to do it. It is updated each week. Visit: https://quinnipiac.campuswell.com/category/campus/qu-fitness-classes-on-demand/
The university also has two programs going on right now related to self-care and managing stress: The Perfection Detox Book Club is a four-week Zoom series with the book’s author, Petra Kolber and Practice Your Journal series is a five-week Zoom meeting series on how to be your best self.
The Wellness Program also sponsors a Reflective Hike to Yoga series in the fall. It includes meditation, hiking and a yoga.
The fitness centers are open on all three campuses. There are fitness classes running on all three campuses as well as being offered via Zoom. Some are following the Q-Flex model of in-person and Zoom and some are just Zoom. There are intramural sports being offered both in-person and virtually (a virtual 5k happened during the weekend of April 17, 2020 )
Mental health hotlines
If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health, call a hotline.
