Though social distancing measures have been necessary and effective tools for slowing the spread of COVID-19 and preventing the number of cases from exceeding the capacity of our healthcare system, those same measures have had a negative impact on our community’s mental health.
In response to anticipated mental health trends, Care Team created a new program called Care Talk. This program consists of two interactive livestreams each week (Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Thursdays at 2 p.m.) on subjects pertaining to mental health and resilience. We have also created a four-week, structured curriculum about managing coronavirus-related challenges our campus community may be experiencing. These topics are stress and anxiety, isolation, depression and grief. Click here to check out the Care Talk website, and click here to watch our streams.
Between Aug. 1 and Apr. 30, Care Team has seen a 52.63% increase in cases (from 342 in AY 2019 to 522 in AY 2018). In the month of April, however, there was a 14.81% decrease in cases (from 54 in 2019 to 46 in 2020). Given evidence that social isolation, health concerns and loss of income are linked to a rising frequency of mental health concerns around the country, April's decrease in cases seems more likely to be caused by potential reporters' difficulty identifying distress in a remote format than an actual decline in distress.
Please note that struggling to identify distress in others while social distancing is not a failing on the part of the potential reporter; these are challenging cirumstances, and we can each only do the best we can with the tools available to us.
At this time, Care Team wants to stress the importance of self-care. While it is important to reach out to others and help where you can, it is also important to take care of yourself and make sure your needs are being met. Tips for wellness and self-care include:
- Take care of your basic needs. Eat adequate food; drink adequate water; get adequate sleep; take your medications. It’s easy to overlook these simple steps, but failure to give your body the tools it needs to take care of itself can quickly cause your mood to dip, not to mention open you up to physical health issues.
- Stick to a routine. While variety is important, allowing yourself to deviate too much from your normal routine can have a detrimental effect on your mood. Engaging in sleep hygiene, maintaining a meal schedule, bathing regularly and changing clothes in order to work or attend classes can help signal the regular passage of time to yourself and regulate your mood.
- Get outside. While it’s important to maintain a safe, social distance, it is also important to get some vitamin D and a change of scenery. Moving your body is also beneficial, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous; gentle movement such as walking and yoga can be just as helpful in combatting fatigue, boredom and depression as running or biking.
- Be mindful of your needs. During times of stress and anxiety, you may have different or additional needs or desires. It is okay to do things that help you cope, even if those things seem frivolous or silly. Also keep in mind that experiencing stress, especially long-term stress, requires additional energy; you may find you need more sleep or more food than usual, and that is okay. Campus Recreation and CAPS have moved their normal mindfulness meditation sessions to an online format, which may also help to address stress.
- Allow yourself to have feelings. These are unusual times, and it is understandable to have complex emotions about it. You may experience anxiety, sadness, irritation, anger, or grief. You may experience other feelings that don’t entirely make sense to you. Be prepared to recognize that you may not have the emotional space to be there for others, and that other people in your life are also experiencing unusual stress and made need to set boundaries around certain topics or their emotional availability.
For other self-care resources, check out our list here.
In response to issues members of our campus community may face as a result of COVID-19, including loss of jobs and access to previously dependable resources, Care Team has created a list of emergency assistance resources to help address these needs. Click here to find emergency resources.
If you’re concerned about a member of our campus community, please don’t hesitate to submit a concern. If you’d like to learn more about Care Team, please check out our website at wichita.edu/care.
Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the Care Team, please contact Alicia Newell, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at (316) 978-6105 or Alicia.Newell@wichita.edu. We appreciate our campus community and all that you do. Thank you for helping us create a community of Caring at Wichita State University!