College Students Mental Health Challenges: Concerns and Considerations in the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT Students’ mental health problems are a growing concern in higher education. In recent times, these concerns have doubled due to the significant socioeconomic, political, and technological changes in the world. With the emergence of the ongoing novel COVID-19 pandemic, students in higher education are faced with increased mental health challenges. Specifically, the ongoing 2019–2020 novel coronavirus, has magnified college students’ mental health challenges, and as a result, there are additional considerations, as college students are now required to adapt to a virtual learning environment, make behavioral changes such as social distancing, and deal with socioeconomic uncertainties. The objective of this paper is to provide insight into the additional concerns in which COVID-19 may affect college students’ mental health and how mental health practitioners can address these concerns in practice. Implications of these concerns as well as possible strategies for addressing these concerns are discussed.