COVID-19 has, undoubtedly, affected many people across the globe in many different ways. But for young people, a recent survey by Feel Therapeutics found that they feel their academic performance and life itself have also been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
SEE THE FULL SURVEY RESULTS HERE
Your late teenage years and early twenties are usually a time of discovery, of leaving the confines of structured education and the family home and learning to support yourself in every single aspect of your life.
It’s that time in your life where full adult responsibilities have not quite kicked in, and you can have fun making memories.
However, COVID-19 has, for the time being, put a dampener on that carefree existence. Lockdown, social distancing, and the closure of hospitality and entertainment venues have all taken their toll.
Our survey found that over a quarter of young people surveyed felt that COVID-19 was stealing their youth, and they were missing out on the most fun years of their life.
A further 26% were concerned about the effect that social distancing is having on their ability to make meaningful connections with others. Other worries included not being able to make new friends, date people, and party.
Additionally, 2% of those who took part in the survey decided to stay at home rather than move to a college campus, with all the fun that college life brings.
A September 2020 article in the Harvard Business Review explains how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a long-overdue change to the way universities and colleges “scrutinize the price and value proposition of higher education through the new lens of traditional classroom versus multiple modes of digital delivery.”
The article goes on to say the change to remote, online learning has, to date, been nothing more than replacing face-to-face classes with live Zoom classes.
Feel Therapeutics' survey revealed that 84% of those surveyed stated that they preferred face-to-face learning over remote classes, and 64% believe that their academic performance has been negatively impacted and feel they are learning less than they normally would.
Nearly a quarter of the young people surveyed are also concerned for their future, both professionally and financially, as COVID-19 has upset the global economy and the job market.
A ‘COVID-19 Mental Health’ survey (ADD LINK TO RESULTS) we conducted in April 2020 found that over 60% of those surveyed stated their current mental health state was worse than before the pandemic.
Our survey revealed that more than two-thirds of young people feel their current mental health state is worse or much worse than before the COVID-19 crisis.
The most common negative emotions that young people are experiencing are stress, lack of motivation, pessimism, and monotony.
Nearly half of the young people surveyed felt they needed some form of mental health support to help them cope, but only 19% have sought it. The majority of those surveyed said they would reach out directly to therapists or friends to get the help they needed.
Less than 10% of our survey population said that to get mental health support they would reach out to an online mental health program, despite 57% believing that getting access to mental health support was not easy.
Feel Relief was developed by Feel Therapeutics in response to the COVID-19 crisis and is a four-week, fully remote mental health support program as part of Feel's efforts to develop digital biomarkers and therapeutics to bring objective, passive, and continuous measurement and data for Mental Health and Neuroscience. It is designed to help you manage excessive stress & worry due to personal matters or due to the pandemic and turn anxiety into a balanced emotional state with positive thinking patterns.
The program will help you achieve long-lasting results and includes unlimited coaching via text from your dedicated mental health coach, access to mental health resources and exercises and an app to journal your emotions.
