Session 6: Mental health of college students

Isolation among older adults has always been prevalent, but with the pandemic, the proportion of isolated senior citizens has wildly increased. According to the latest U.S. Census, nearly 1/3 of all seniors live alone, and in June 2020, 56% of older adults said they felt isolated. According to one source, “this isolation can lead to depression, weight loss, cognitive decline, and other medical complications, research suggests.”[1] We realized we could tackle this issue by leveraging a younger demographic to crowdsource letters. For our Generation Match program, we partnered with a local hospital, nursing home, and high school. Participants aged ~16-24 years old apply to be a short- or long-term penpal with an isolated senior citizen, completely virtually. We match each volunteer to the senior with the most mutual interests and handle all of the communication between parties involved thereafter. By cultivating our social media presence, marketing the ease behind this form of volunteering, and targeting a specific demographic, we have seen a 640% increase in volunteers in our program, with 1 international match, as well as 10,000% accounts reached on our social media within 30 days. We are unspeakably grateful for our success with the program so far, as it has demonstrated the power behind virtual volunteering with proper marketing, and hope to expand it further. Sources: [1] https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/senior-isolation-facts

Positivity has been shown to naturally trigger upward spirals of professional development, and promote better social interactions, relationships, and health. Positive emotions, such broaden thought-action repertoires, which in turn builds intellectual, physical, social, and psychological factors (Otake, 2006; Bhujade, 2017. Despite the power of positivity, college students face an abundance of negativity, both inside and outside the college environment. 30% of college students encounter loss in the first year of college (Balk, 2008; Chapell, 2004; Koskie, 2018; Nutt, 2018). Bereavements result in college dropouts, failing grades, damaged mental health, and even death for students who do not receive any aid (Lake, 2019). While loss can affect all individuals, it is especially detrimental to college students when combined with the rigorous course plans and overall stress students face. Universities need to provide support services and grief outlets such as counseling, support groups, and remembrance activities to combat these effects; indirect acknowledgement of loss has often shown to be most impactful (Morris, 2017). Due to the issues loss poses not only for students, but for universities as a whole, including literature review and surveys, my research is paramount in its aim to illustrate counteraction of these effects and restoration of student productivity.