The start of the semester is always difficult. For some, it is their first time living apart from their families as a college student. For others, it is about going back to a routine that they may have forgotten since the final days of classes in May.
This semester, COVID-19 has only added to the stress.
Many students decided to not come back to campus at all. For those who did, they were forced to adapt quickly when UNC switched to fully online classes within the first week. Parents and students were frantically moving out of residence halls. UNC was featured on national news as students, parents, and faculty scrambled to adjust.
The information on the coronavirus, and how we live our lives, has been evolving since March. It is quickly becoming obvious that mental health is an issue that many people, including students, are facing in the wake of the pandemic. In these tough times, what are some of the ways you can help your student?
Understanding your student
Allen O’Barr, the director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UNC, emphasized the importance of taking the time to really talk to students.
“Just setting aside 15 to 20 minutes to really just sit down and talk to your kids is important,” O’Barr said.
According to O’Barr, talking to your student is the starting point of offering support. Students will often not open up quickly, so taking the initiative to start the conversation is very important.
But O’Barr says students may not be open to talking about their problems and emotional issues. In this case, a simple “I am here for you, and willing to listen to you” may be very helpful.
“Parents need to remember that students are adults, but live back at home. They can’t operate like they are 17 anymore,” he said.
Be Open and Take Care of Yourself
O’Barr says parents should not hesitate to ask for professional help if they or their student needs it. He also encourages parents to recognize that students go through different struggles. Although conversations can be a good starting point, professional help can offer additional help.
COVID-19 and quarantine can be stressful for everyone, and it is important that parents take care of their own mental health too.
“Parents should think, ‘let me get myself grounded so I can help students be grounded.’” O’Barr said.
Outside Resources
CAPS is still fully in operation and may be a good starting point for students facing mental health issues. Currently, CAPS offers phone and Zoom call meetings.
CAPS also offers referral coordinating. Even if they’re in a different state, students and parents can set up referral coordination appointments and get help finding a provider that works in a specific area or with a specific insurance.
If a parent and student would like to directly find a therapist, Psychology Today offers information on therapists, treatment centers, psychiatrists and support groups. Users can type in their ZIP code or city and read brief biographies about therapists in the area before contacting them.
Psychology Today also offers different magazine articles that help with staying emotionally healthy during the coronavirus outbreak. These articles, written by therapist and psychiatrist members of Psychology Today, offer tips and information on how to deal with stress and emotional issues.
UNC-Chapel Hill also compiles resources for students. UNC-Chapel Hill’s Office of the Provost compiled a list of COVID-19 resources, not only for mental health but also for alcohol and drug support.
Libraries also offer a multitude of resources to help cope with stress. Specifically, the UNC-Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library offers a COVID-19 Resources page, which lists various resources the student can reach out to when dealing with mental health issues. This resources guide is a collaboration of the UNC-Chapel Hill Health Sciences Library and the North Carolina AHEC.
You are not alone
Students and parents are all facing difficult times, but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Sit down with your student, or call them if they are living separately. Let them know that you respect their hard work during difficult times and that you are here to listen. Support your student if they wish to seek outside help. And don’t forget to recognize your mental health needs, too.
Remember that you are not alone, and UNC offers a multitude of resources to help your student succeed.
This article was produced by 1893 Brand Studio on behalf of Raising Heels, an email newsletter for parents of UNC students. This article was written by Alice Sejin Lim.
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