Massachusetts schools were ordered to be suspended from in-person

learning by March 16, 2020, by Gov. Charles Baker.

Now in 2022, after a year and a half of online learning students have finally returned to in-person school. But how has the last year and a half affected the mental health of students?

I interviewed NECC dual-enrollment students Olivia Hansen and Avery Hochheiser to answer that pressing question.

During the lockdown, Hochheiser recalled that “honestly, Covid had been hard because of the social isolation. Not interacting with people my age and being stuck at home all day was just hard. There was less motivation and excitement about doing things because I was at home all the time.”

A UNICEF study showed that during this time of isolation, “The general situation in the countries and their localities has affected the daily life of young people as 46% report having less motivation to do activities they usually enjoyed. 36% feel less motivated to do regular chores.”

Covid-19 has diminished the motivation from the same routine repeated from being stuck in their homes.

Now more than ever Olivia Hansen says, COVID-19 has affected her. She tells me, “It made me realize (how) much I missed out on during the past two years, and sometimes it can make me sad. It has also been a large shift going back to school and getting back into the habit of doing school work and having to socialize with the other kids at school with who I haven’t interacted with in the last year. It can be stressful, but there is a lot of support available for students.”

Schools such as Newburyport High School have been implementing accessible mental health resources not only on their website but also allowing access to a counselor any time during the school day.

Covid is by no means over yet so it is unknown the depth that COVID-19 will have on American’s mental health.