COVID-19: Varsity helplines face students' anxieties due to uncertainty, lifestyle changes

From uncertainties pertaining to the lockdown to career-related anxiety and symptoms of depression due to being away from home, helplines and counselling services being run online by various universities are dealing with the psychological concerns of students during the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this week, the University Grants Commission (UGC) directed all universities and colleges to set up mental health helplines to address students' concerns during the health crisis.

Even before the UGC directive, many universities like Delhi University (DU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) here had already begun counselling services for students. Private universities like Ashoka University in Haryana are also providing such services to the students.

Dr SP Jena, head of DU's Psychology Department, said the counselling services were started through email on March 3.

"We have been getting 10-15 queries every day. The queries pertain to panic attacks and general anxiety which students might have been experiencing earlier but have got aggravated due to this situation," he said.

Dr Jena said he asks students to not follow news about coronavirus and engage themselves more in entertainment activities to divert attention.

They want to expand the counselling services to help staffers of the varsity but right now, they are only focussing on students, he said.

"Students also call for queries about their academics, with problems of concentration. They do not have a time management plan and I suggest to them to have a time table. It's a good thing they are approaching us," he added.

DU's Rajdhani College has formed a committee comprising a counsellor who retired from AIIMS, college officials, students, incharges of National Cadet Corps (NCC) Girls and Boys divisions and northeast students to help the students overcome issues related to mental and physical health during this time of crisis.

"The students call about queries on when the exams will happen and whether the varsity will promote students in case exams are not able to take place," said college principal Dr Rajesh Giri.

The JMI has also started tele-counselling services for students and staff members distressed by the coronavirus crisis.

Najma Akhtar, vice-chancellor of JMI, said the main query the counsellers are getting is when will the lockdown end.

"There are around 300 hostellers who had to stay back. They keep on asking, 'What will happen to us? When will be go back home?' There are around 40 foreign students in our hostels. The main query is how they will go back home," she said.

"We have written to every embassy informing them about the students. I am scared that they should not suffer from depression. They had the impression that they would be going back home during the summer break but now they are uncertain," Akhtar said.

Dr Arvinder Singh, director and founder of Ashoka Centre For Well Being at Ashoka University, said the centre currently has six counsellers and students can book online sessions.

"We use Google hangout and Zoom app to reach out to students. We also have a telephonic helpline which runs for a couple of hours every day for students and faculty members," she said.

Singh is also conducted group therapy sessions online to help students cope with anxiety.

"It's a time when students are going through a lot of anxiety, fear and are also feeling boxed in. There is uncertainty about what will happen, how will we graduate and the job market when the economy has taken a downturn," she said.

Dr Singh said they have a multi-pronged approach to help students – a counselling centre, group therapy sessions, peer student groups – cope with this extraordinary situation.

"We give self-care tips and also tell them about the importance of sleep hygiene," she added.

Ambedkar University, Delhi (AUD) runs the Ehsaas Psychotherapy and Counselling Clinic to meet the needs of those experiencing psychosocial difficulties.

Professor Anu Singh Lather, Vice Chancellor, AUD said members from the clinic are available daily since March 23 on phone and email to help the varsity's students in dealing with the anxieties created by sudden isolation, change of routine and stress about academic and career plans.

The opportunity to share problems and difficulties with therapists leads to considerable reduction in distress, she said, adding that faculty members are also being encouraged to incorporate mentorship and counselling while conducting online teaching sessions.

According to counsellors at AUD, most students have reported distress associated with the pandemic and the other changes in lifestyle associated with it.

They are worried about their future even in the immediate context. The likelihood that job opportunities will go down is a great concern, they said. In addition, a large number of students are feeling anxious because they are far away from their families and cannot travel home because of the lockdown.