Career College Central

Subscribe at careercollegecentral.com 44 Unexpected Effects on Mental Health As they work to identify at-risk students, counselors should be mindful of an increase in mental disorders that don't look quite like anxiety and depression. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) has reported a spike of more than 70 percent in the number of calls and online chat inquiries to its hotline compared to the same time period last year. "This has been a time of heightened anxiety for everyone," NEDA's CEO Claire Mysko told Good Morning America. "For people with eating disorders, either those who are actively struggling or those who are pursuing recovery, there's an added stressor with the pandemic." "We know that eating disorders strive with isolation," she said. "The public health guidelines with social distancing really stand in contrast to what we learn in recovery, which is all about connection and standing outside of that isolation." cannot change the fact that opening their campuses like normal could lead to public health crises. Students cannot change the fact that their high school and college years will look different than they had hoped. Counselors cannot change the fact that they do not currently have visibility into the lives of the students who need them most. What each of these groups can control, however, is their reaction to the circumstances. Colleges and universities can adjust budgets, create hybrid, physically-distanced learning environments and build online programs. Students can reevaluate their choices and take advantage of their support systems. Counselors can continue to provide the guidance and support they always have to students who come to them, and they can look for new ways to reach "invisible" students. • Get in front of them . . . figuratively. In such a stressful time, students are focusing on surviving, not thriving. Lean into the forced digital environment and remind students via email, social media, and text that you are available to support them, help them make decisions, and connect with additional resources as needed. • Walk them through their decision-making processes. No, their options for the 2020–2021 school year aren't what any of us expected. eir carefully planned paths may have crumbled in front of their eyes. But they still have options. As they're trying to decide what to do next, guide them through the factors that led them to make their original education choice and reevaluate which factors changed. • Help them see all the options. Instead of attending online classes at a university chosen for its campus life, encourage students to consider other options. Oen, colleges that have been operating programs online for years are better-prepared to handle an influx of virtual students than traditional schools.

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