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  • McQueary College of Health and Human Services

COVID-19 is a marathon. College students are tired.

March 3, 2021 by Strategic Communication

Three students stand outside Meyer Library

It’s not a surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many existing mental health problems. The world is still experiencing a collective trauma, and many people aren’t getting help.

“We are facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come,” reads the 2020 “Stress in America” Survey, published yearly by the American Psychological Association.

For college students, the stress of the pandemic has added additional weight to an already heavy problem.

The college student mental health crisis

Prior to 2020, college students were already high on the mental health priority list.

In 2018, 62% of college students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety in the last 12 months. In the same survey, 41% reported feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function.

By fall 2020, 89% of college students reported actively experiencing stress or anxiety because of COVID-19. One in four students said their existing depression significantly increased.

Dr. Danae Hudson, a clinical psychologist and clinical psychology graduate program coordinator at Missouri State University, cites a lack of access to treatment as one of the factors in the severity of the crisis.

“Access has been a problem for a long time,” she said. “It’s complicated by COVID because there is an increase in the prevalence of people who are struggling, and it is difficult to see someone in an office setting with social distancing measures.”

The combination of decreased access to treatment, isolation, the loss of traditional campus life and regular academic stress makes the college student situation more complex than it has been in the past.

“Usually, the top stressors for college students are related to finances, academics, relationships, job outlook and identity, in that order,” Hudson said.

In the era of COVID, stress about health and safety has taken the top spot, pushing out a focus on identity.

“This makes sense from a psychological standpoint,” she said. “People need to make sure they’re safe and that they are going to live before they start thinking about what they want their futures to look like.”

Pandemic burnout

This heightened sense of survival has taken its toll on everyone, including college students. Nearing the anniversary of the March 2020 shutdowns, many have reported burnout and exhaustion.

MSU Counseling Resources

Hudson believes these feelings of fatigue stem from a heightened, prolonged stress response. With the onset of stress, your body goes into alarm mode, then builds up resistance, which is eventually followed by a period of exhaustion. This is known in psychology as general adaptation syndrome.

“I think we’ve entered that exhaustion phase,” she said. “When we mobilized in spring 2020, we had no idea how long this was going to last. We started sprinting for a 5k, when it’s really a marathon.”

Supporting students through the crisis

Hudson believes the best way for people in the college sphere to support students during the heightened COVID-19 stress is to be flexible.

“We have to have grace for each other,” she said. “People are struggling in different ways, but we are all struggling to some extent.”

As a professor, Hudson’s priority is that her students are okay. Her expectations for late work, exams and class attendance have had to change in the wake of students’ significant COVID-19 and mental health struggles.

“We’re not living in the ‘real world’ right now,” she said. “Our expectations have to be different. I want my students to feel supported more than anything else.”

She also recommends that students extend the same grace to themselves that they would to a friend. It’s an idea she calls radical acceptance.

“You have to learn to tell yourself, ‘Maybe I’m not going to be at my best, and that’s okay. I just need to get through this,’” she said.

Missouri State resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, contact the Missouri State Counseling Center.

Online resources:

  • Guide to living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty
  • Coping with anxiety
  • Crisis text line
  • Additional resources from MSU Counseling Center

Filed Under: Psychology Tagged With: COVID-19, Dr. Danae Hudson, mental health, Psychology, students

Nursing students and faculty help with vaccination clinics across the Ozarks

February 11, 2021 by Gabby Lampe

covid vaccine

Filed Under: MCHHS News, Nursing Tagged With: COVID-19, Nursing

You have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. We have answers.

January 19, 2021 by Strategic Communication

Woman in red shirt sitting in research lab

Dr. Amy Hulme has studied HIV/AIDS for most of her professional career.

A year ago, her virology research shifted when COVID-19 spread across the globe.

Hulme, assistant professor of biomedical sciences at Missouri State University, now spends much of her time reading data about the virus and the new vaccines created to fight it.

Common questions, expert answers

Hulme answers frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines in the new MCHHS podcast, Health Queries.

  1. COVID-19 Vaccine Episode Preview


“When I was teaching about COVID this summer, I was like, ‘Guys, a year to vaccine? That’s not going to happen,’” Hulme said. “But, everything worked along the way. Companies were building on technology that they had been working on for years. So even though approval has been fast, that’s because there was a lot of basic science research, and even clinical research, for years that got us to this point.”

The podcast is available on major streaming platforms.

View episode transcript.

Filed Under: Biomedical Sciences, MCHHS News Tagged With: COVID-19, Dr. Amy Hulme

MCHHS back to campus guide

August 4, 2020 by Strategic Communication

Students study at tall table

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri State released a Return to Campus Guide on July 6. Since then, they’ve added some updates and additions. 

This guide is here to let MCHHS students know what to expect when they return on August 17. 

Masks: 

Masks must be worn in all buildings on campus this fall.

Read the full masking policy. 

Masking exceptions: 

In the event that an individual cannot wear a Mask due to an underlying disability, they may initiate the university’s interactive accommodations process in order to request a “reasonable accommodation. Students who wish to request an accommodation may contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Meyer Library, Suite 111, and available at DRC@MissouriState.edu; 417-836-4192; or TTY (417) 836-2792.

Mask enforcement: 

Students who have not been granted an accommodation and who refuse to wear a mask while in the classroom or other academic settings are subject to administrative withdrawal, consistent with Op3.04-11 Class Disruption. Additionally, students who fail to comply with this policy in areas outside the classroom or other academic settings are subject to disciplinary action consistent with the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.

If you show symptoms and need to get tested:

You must first be assessed by a physician. Options for assessment by a physician include:

  • Contact Magers at 417-836-4000.
  • After hours, contact the Mercy Nurse On-Call at 417-820-6055.
  • Contact your primary care provider.
  • In case of medical emergency, go to a local hospital emergency room or call 911.

COVID-19 testing is available on campus at Magers for students, faculty and staff who have been referred by a physician for testing. If you have insurance, your insurance company will be billed for the test. If you do not have insurance or if your insurance does not pay for the entire cost of the test, the university will not bill you for the balance.

Additional information about testing, including information about other testing locations in the Springfield area, can be found on the Springfield-Greene County Health Department’s webpage.

Missouri State is also tracking confirmed cases on campus. 

Keep an eye on your class schedule.

Your method of instruction may have changed since you registered, so do a check of your detailed schedule. You can find your detailed schedule under the registration tab in My Missouri State.

Any relevant updates will be added to this guide as we approach the first day of class. 

Additional information can be found on Missouri State’s COVID-19 webpage. 

Filed Under: MCHHS News Tagged With: COVID-19, MCHHS

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