“Online classes are non-interactive. The students feel that they cannot participate as much or even ask for help. ”
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According to Al-Subaie, online learning exacerbates feelings of anxiety and loneliness. “Online classes are not interactive,” she said. The students feel that they cannot participate as much or even ask for help. ” She adds that there can be up to 30 to 60 students in a general studies subject class at one time.
Many students struggle with studying online, Lambert, the psychology teacher, complains of boredom and a sense of blockade.
“I feel like life is paused and they are waiting for something to happen,” she said.
While some webinars are being offered at universities about well-being and mental health, Lambert says the foundation needs a mental health infrastructure. “The webinars are not the personal support students need, and we all need it,” she said. She says that many students are too shy or afraid to speak in a group environment when given the opportunity.
She suggests that someone reach out to students on an individual and in-person basis over the phone or through video calls, or at least make such calls available. “It is a real failure of educational institutions in this country,” she said. Universities don’t realize that it’s part of their role either. ”
Diksha Laungani, a Dubai-born child and adolescent psychologist who was educated in the United Kingdom and works at a university in the UAE, says that universities should be more proactive and preventive rather than simply responding to students’ problems.
Additionally, Diksha says students themselves, like Sabrina Al-Subaie, can be a force for change. They can create support groups, for example, and work collaboratively with universities.
She adds that teachers, family and friends need to look for signs of psychological conflict. Difficulties performing daily activities, loss of sleep, sudden changes in mood or appetite, difficulties concentrating, and loss of interest in activities can be signs that a young person needs more attention.
At the institutional level, she says, “the language of mental health and well-being must be normalized between faculty and students.”
Second, according to Diksha, the impact of mental health on academic performance must be recognized, rather than treating the two as separate entities.
“The Academic Development, Wellbeing, and Careers departments need to work together to promote student development – to be a unifying goal,” she concluded.
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