Article: College students feel lonelier because of coronavirus pandemic

Nadine Reid is struggling.

“I definitely am going through a cycle of grief of... this expectation that this time of my life would be one of transformation almost, or it would be just this great period,” Nadine said. “It’s not so far.”

She graduated high school in the “Class of COVID” and wasn’t able to enjoy in-person graduation or prom. She then went into a very isolated summer in a difficult home situation. Nadine then started her first semester of college at The University of Texas at Dallas as a completely remote student. Her only option to meet new friends has been virtual meetings.

“Naturally, humans do better face-to-face,” Nadine said. “I think it is possible to make friends online, I just think it’s incredibly difficult.”

On top of all of this, Nadine is diagnosed with clinical depression that can cause her to self-isolate when she goes through a depressive episode. Nadine said her experience with depression and an isolated pandemic lifestyle as a feedback loop of sadness.

“I’m not seeing my friends, because I can't, I wanna respect social distancing,” Nadine said. “Because I’m not seeing them, I get sad, and then I self-isolate on top of that.”

The reality is many people are experiencing similar symptoms of loneliness and isolation because of COVID-19 lifestyle restrictions. Seven out of 10 people, ages 18 and older, reported having more difficulty connecting with friends since the pandemic began, according to an online study conducted by AARP.

“I’ve seen not only new clients coming in, students as well as couples and teens in particular,” Dr. Marilyn Powell said. She’s a licensed psychologist and was previously the Dean of Psychology at Walden University. “I’ve also had a lot of former clients return who have experienced enhanced stress and loneliness.”

A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information concurred with Dr. Powell’s observations that students are struggling. The study, published in August, showed that being a student has become a higher risk factor for loneliness during the pandemic than it was before.

Dr. Powell said the problem is heightened for people who aren’t naturally outgoing or don’t have a very wide-reaching network of friends. As for those who already had depression, COVID-19 related isolation has only heightened their symptoms.

Dr. Powell said it’s much more difficult to motivate clients to visit electronically now that many offices no longer offer in-person appointments. She added that many people attend school or work online most of the day, which causes online fatigue that stops them from attending therapy or social events online.

“You wanna have them stretch out a little bit through a medium they’re kind of exhausted by,” Dr. Powell said.

Nadine , who has seen a therapist in the past, has had trouble motivating herself to attend therapy online. She already has self-isolating tendencies, so this online barrier adds a further rift between Nadine and the help she needs.

“The thought of having to Zoom call just seems so impersonal,” Nadine said. “I bet it would benefit me, but it’s just not how I wanna do therapy.”

The uncomfortable nature of a virtual counseling session is only heightened by Nadine's difficult home situation. She lives in a small house with her mother, with whom Nadine does not have a good relationship. Nadine said she doesn’t feel able to truly open about her problems with depression and isolation when she is at home.

“When you go to therapy, you’re going into a different safe, closed environment,” Nadine said. “Whereas if you take it home, it’s not the same thing.”

An informal poll on social media with 135 participants revealed Nadine was not the only person feeling isolated: 86% of participants reported feeling lonelier because of COVID-19 lifestyle changes. The overwhelming majority of the participants in this survey were college students.

Anna Musich, a sophomore at Southern Methodist University, was one of the people that responded yes in this poll. Anna felt isolated last year when she was transitioning to college, mostly because she is an out-of-state student who lived 15 hours away. Despite having a strong network of friends coming into this year, Anna said she felt the pressure of isolation more this semester than she did in her first year of college.

“You’re on Zoom for a day or two, and you just feel like you’re the only person going through it,” Anna said. “It just feels like in that moment you’re like, ‘Wow, it’s really alone.’”

She was able to maintain most of her closest friendships but struggled to keep up with the friends she made right before the quarantine. Anna also said she has but a few new friends. She attributes her feelings of isolation to the lack of natural, spontaneous social situations. Dr. Powell also recognized this as the cause of loneliness in many young adults.

“A year ago, big gatherings and even spontaneous gatherings with friends and activities at school and universities were commonplace,” Dr. Powell said. “You didn’t have to think about how you could connect with others as much.”

There are a couple of ways people feeling isolated can work to feel more balanced. Dr. Powell had a few recommendations:

• A podcast called “Unlocking Us with Brené Brown”

• An app called “Calm”

• An app called “Insight Timer”

Anna also had some suggestions for students struggling with feeling isolated. She recommends students reach out to people online, such as sending someone a direct message on Zoom during class.

“The person on the other end, I can guarantee, is also feeling very similarly,” Anna said. “They’re gonna want to get to know you, as well.”

Nadine has found a few things that help her, like music, taking walks, or reading. It’s also really helped Nadine to start working an in-person job because it gives her social interaction and a reason to motivate herself.

Nadine said she’s moved into a stage of acceptance in her cycle of grief.

“It’s okay, it’ll get better,” Nadine said. “I find myself saying that a lot these days.”