UCC Student's Union launches #CheckOnAMate mental health support campaign

All that the campaign requires is the sending of a text or WhatsApp message or making a call to a friend, and enquiring as to how they are managing at the moment. File Picture

University College Cork (UCC) has launched a new campaign to help young people whose mental health may be suffering as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

UCC Students Union says that while there is a lot of discussion around the different waves and phases of the pandemic thus far, a ‘fourth wave’ - a rise in instances of mental health issues in younger people - isn’t being discussed.

80% of the people who responded to the survey ‘Coronavirus: Impact on Young People with Mental Health Needs’ said the ongoing pandemic had caused their mental health to deteriorate.

41% said their overall mental health had gotten “much worse.” 

While it is perceived that online communication between friends and peers would have increased in lockdown, given that in-person interactions are mostly off the cards at present, studies from organisations like Every Mind Matters and Young Minds found that many young people have felt increasingly isolated during successive lockdowns.

With regular face-to-face classes, sports and other activities cancelled for the most part, many younger people have been left without important coping mechanisms and ways to alleviate stress.

Many reported to Young Minds that the extra time they had on their own had led to overthinking and anxiety.

Others reported feeling unproductive and without motivation.

Those who relied on mental health services for support have also been impacted, with many support groups and one-to-one consultations and referrals disrupted, postponed or cancelled entirely.

Some have raised issues around privacy and do not feel comfortable opening up online.

In short, all of the issues young people usually have to contend with - educational worries, communication and socialising, anxiety about what the future may hold - have been compounded and intensified by the pandemic.

In response to this, the UCC Student’s Union has created the #CheckOnAMate campaign.

All that the campaign requires is the sending of a text or WhatsApp message or making a call to a friend, and enquiring as to how they are managing at the moment.

“Covid-19 has had a significant impact on students' mental health.,” the UCC SU said in a statement.

“UCC Student’s Union is asking all students in Cork and across the country to #CheckOnAMate over the coming days.

“Send a text, it might just save a life.”