Student depression in the time of a pandemic

According to the National Institute of Mental Health of Bangladesh, the number of adults suffering from depression and anxiety has increased in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, co-author of the latest bulletin published by the IEDCR, suggests that compared to 2018, the current prevalence of anxiety has grown four to sixfold throughout the pandemic. A research named "Depression and anxiety among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A web-based cross-sectional survey" finds that around 82.4% of the participants had mild to severe depressive symptoms from which 66.07% of the students were in their early twenties With students living in close proximity during the pandemic, students living with families 96.93% and in urban areas 65.05% showed higher depressive symptoms. In the case of anxiety, 87.7% of students exhibited mild to severe anxiety symptoms. Panic over contracting the virus, uncertainty about receiving treatment, fear of mortality, economic turmoil, and unemployment were all factors leading to the mental health crisis. Troubled with the thought of lagging behind others academically, more and more students are falling into the whirlpool of depression. But there is still hope among all the despair. Organizations like Moshal, the youngest mental health organisation to win the The Diana Award, are working tirelessly to make people socially aware of certain mental health issues and getting the proper help more accessible. Other notable organizations that help in this cause are Psychological Health and Wellness Clinic, Kan Pete Roi, Maya apa, Moner Bondhu etc. Shunbo is a similar anonymous mental health support network in Bangladesh. In the midst of the pandemic, it opened on July 5, 2020. Shunbo began as the idea of six university students. Shunbo has successfully conducted 22 support group meetings for a total of 5,000 clients. Due to the dedication of these organizations and their volunteers, there is still hope for our country's youth.

---Written by Nafis Anwar

Content Writer

AH Brainery