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The accelerated development of technologies made online learning possible, allowing many students who would not have had a possibility to study otherwise, in a face-to-face setting, to continue their education. Access to a number of courses and educational opportunities also has been granted by this phenomenon. Online learning can be viewed as a relatively new issue, adverse effects of which are not identified fully. The advantages of this type of learning may overweight the disadvantages and be preferred by some students. Nonetheless, an array of health issues is linked to this developing learning setting, raising concern among scholars. Mental health is an aspect that attracts significant attention from researchers interested in investigating the connection between the lack of social interactions that online learning may entail and depressive disorders or anxiety, for instance.
Students’ social, emotional, and psychological well-being seems to be a factor that has not been taken into consideration sufficiently when online learning is in question. Research shows that the increase in mental health concerns linked to online learning may be caused by the lack of usual social interactions, that despite their perceived habitualness prove to be crucial for a number of students (Minutillo et al., 2020). According to Minutillo et al. (2020) “a qualitative study showed that students with a mental health disability experienced isolation and disconnectedness due to the lack of contact with staff and fellow students” (p. 3). The study indicates that those who are affected the most are students with pre-existing conditions, as their mental health declined the most substantially (Minutillo et al., 2020). The effect on individuals that did not have covered mental health conditions is not as clear. However, with the increase in the number of psychological illnesses that are reported, this particular effect of online learning is still applicable to a large number.
The loneliness
Loneliness that online learning implies for some is a significant factor that mayintoe integrated into the equation. Several colleges promote mental health among their students with free screening, initiatives, and programs – oftentimes, these activities require a student’s presence. Additionally, many higher-education institutions also used to provide on-campus psychological sessions, which may no longer be available in non-traditional educational settings. As a potential consequence, research (Minutillo et al., 2020) suggests that “the reporting of mental health issues has been steadily rising among university students requiring support for those with pre-existing conditions to be considered in the delivery of online education” (p.3). Higher-education institutions can represent a stressful environment, where the pressure to succeed may be difficult to endure even for students without pre-existing mental health conditions. It seems understandable that already vulnerable groups of students experience additional issues in the unfamiliar mode of learning, which is deprived of interactions crucial for their well-being and needed psychological support.
In conclusion, the link between online learning and mental health is to a degree concrete for students already affected by mental health issues or those with pre-existing conditions. Loneliness provoked by the deficiency of the established social contacts and the absence of psychological assistance that was previously available on-campus seem like two primary causes of the decline in mental health several of students presently experience. These issues lead to the aggravated mental health of college students. The full extent of the problem, seemingly, will be perceived, when the students return to the traditional face-to-face instructional setting, and if the number of the reported cases continues to grow.
References
Minutillo, S, Cleary, M., & Visentin, D. (2020). The mental health of online learners within the educational sector. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 1–14.
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