Abstract - Jami Carlacio, USA

Yale University

New Haven, CT USA

What’s at Stake for U.S. Students in the Era of Covid-19: Mental Health, Well-Being, and Racial (In)Equality

This presentation will address some of the social, emotional, and economic effects of the novel corona virus global pandemic on high school and college students in the United States. Though younger people are less at-risk for contracting Covid-19 than older populations, the damaging effects of the virus has impacted youth and young adults quite dramatically. As schools and universities in the United States closed their doors and moved instruction online in March of 2020, students suffered on a number of levels. For example, the social distancing and quarantine proscriptions has impacted the mental health of people in their teens and early 20s more so than any other age group. They require a level of emotional and social support that differs from adults, and the disruption of the social aspect of school has meant that they spend more time alone. For a demographic that has been for decades now increasingly susceptible to depression and suicide, the increased isolation, lack of structure, and the expectation to manage school work while dealing with personal and collective grief and loss has led healthcare and education officials to pull out the stops to address the issue. For specific populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, the situation is even worse. The presentation will address how the pandemic has exposed the stark inequities in the educational system caused by structural racism, all of which impinge on minority students’ mental health and their ability to flourish in school.

Keywords: Covid-19, pandemic, education, mental health, racism