Syracuse University students have struggled with loneliness and mental health as social distancing measures have increased across the country.

Freshman Gaby Bradbury said she’s coped with these feelings by planning FaceTime dates with friends and members of clubs she’s involved with on campus. She’ll talk to friends while working out and doing schoolwork, and will ask how they’re doing. 

“(It) makes the distance feel just a bit smaller,” said Bradbury, a public health major.

SU announced March 16 that it would move classes online for the remainder of the semester due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since returning home, students told The Daily Orange they miss their friends, and some have had a hard time adjusting to being home.

Many states have issued social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of coronavirus, urging people to remain inside as much as possible. The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected at least 1.4 million people worldwide and killed at least 82,00. 

For Kaitlyn Clark, it’s frustrating to be home all day. Although she calls her friends often, doing so only adds more screen time to her routine and makes her feel more drained by the end of the day, she said. 

Clark, a freshman public relations major, has felt more distracted working at home and finds it easier to lose motivation while isolated from her friends and classmates. 

“As far as my friends go, we are all feeling pretty lonely,” she said.

College students need to check up on friends they haven’t seen since returning home, said Seth Kurzban, a clinical associate professor of social work at the University of Southern California. Strengthening these relationships is enough to maintain the need for social connection, he said. 

Reaching out to loved ones works in two ways, Kurzban said, both giving the receiver confirmation that someone cares about them and providing the caller with validation that they are loved in return. 

“You don’t necessarily need to have deep conversations with all your peers — rather, having more check-ins,” Kurzban said. “Occasional texting or Zoom makes sure you’re reaching out. All of us can understand the feeling of receiving a text from a friend you haven’t seen in a long time.” 

Katie Zager, a freshman in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, left public high school after three years to attend a boarding school. Her home environment was impacting her mental health in negative ways, she said. 

Zager said her mental health has never been better since she began her freshman year at SU, but she has felt it start to decline again since returning home. 

“My experience with this is that I’ve always had a rough time being at home,” Zager said. “When we came home because of the virus, I started to find myself slowly slip back into a really negative headspace.”

While on campus, Lucy Stover always had her roommate, friends and classmates to lean on when she was feeling low. Now, she feels the pressure is on herself to maintain good mental health. 

It’s difficult for a person to take care of themselves when they’re just trying to make it through the day, said Stover, a freshman television, radio and film major.

Anxiety over coursework, including group projects and exams, has also increased for Stover since SU transitioned to online classes, she said. She feels more stressed now that she’s unable to meet with her classmates in person to prepare for assignments or study. 

“Quarantine is draining,” Stover said. “I never know when it’s going to be a good day or a bad day, and it feels like I’ve lost control over my life.”

Matthew Spitzmueller, an assistant professor of social work at SU, said isolation can pose a greater threat to an individual’s mental stability. It’s critical for a person to identify when they no longer feel okay, he said. 

Students should find a good memory from a time before the coronavirus pandemic and record those moments somewhere to perpetuate positive thoughts, said Shane Brown, a Syracuse counselor who often treats SU athletes. These memories play a role in reminding people how they’re connected to others, he said. 

Students especially need to reestablish their goals, Brown said. People should set short- and long-term goals, like reading a book over two weeks, to complete and look back on. 

“All that does is reward you that you were successful,” Brown said. “For student athletes who practice two hours every day, set aside that time, and cross it after you have done it.” 

Some counselors have continued to provide therapy sessions to their clients during the coronavirus pandemic by meeting over the phone or through a video call. Brown said he has for years provided telehealth for his clients, many of whom find video-based counseling effective as long as they have a safe, neutral space to themselves.  

Telehealth services often take place on an online video portal where a client logs on at their scheduled appointment time, notifying their counselor. This also allows counselors to meet with multiple family members, if needed. 

“I may have a student from their dorm video in,” Brown said. “Then, I might have their mom or dad from, say, Texas also on video. And we can all see and hear each other, so you can actually bring in as many people as (the client) wants, and you can still do family sessions without having to be in the same house.” 

Telemedicine does have disadvantages, Spitzmueller said. Counselors may lose the ability online to see shifts in body language that indicate certain emotions, and some clients may feel alienated while not being in the same room as their therapist, he said. Others may find that they’re more comfortable receiving treatment at home, he said. 

Spitzmueller said people need to remind themselves that this is a time of crisis, but humor and social connection can help people relieve stress and forget about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic for a few moments.

Attention from loved ones also helps serve as a lifeline for peoples’ feelings, Spitzmueller said. 

“The best thing people can do is have the courage to ask a tough question to a loved one,” Spitzmueller said. “A simple ‘How is this going for you? I’m concerned that you might not be doing so well’ goes a long way.”

Before SU announced it would suspend residential learning for the rest of the semester, Zager said she emailed Chancellor Kent Syverud expressing her concerns for herself and the student body if classes moved online. While she’s struggling to be at home and away from her friends on campus, she understands the circumstance is beyond anyone’s control.  

“I know there’s nothing that Syracuse University can do about having to close for the rest of the semester, but being home really does take such a toll on the mental health of not just me but all of the students,” Zager said. 

Published on April 8, 2020 at 1:14 am

Contact Sarah: scalessa@syr.edu | @sarahalessan