One Year Later: Young Adults and COVID-19 - Shrinking It Down - MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

One Year Later: Young Adults and COVID-19 – Shrinking It Down

young adult college student looking sadly out bedroom window while drinking coffee

By Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director and Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Topics: COVID-19 + Family Mental Health, Culture + Society

Everyone has been hit hard mentally and emotionally during COVID-19, but there’s growing research to suggest that young adults – that special 18-26 age group – are suffering more than we might think. GenZ and Millennials had already been flagged as possibly the loneliest generation, even before the pandemic. Now, many are faced with increased social isolation and a devastating economy at a time when, developmentally, they should be building independence and identity through higher education or work.

In this episode of Shrinking It Down, Gene and Khadijah share insights on how to navigate these unique challenges, including ways to help young adults maintain a sense of purpose despite everything they can’t control.

Thank you for joining in this conversation. Do you have a question or comment about supporting young adults during Covid? We’d love to know. Write to us!

Media List (follow along with the conversation)

Here’s How the COVID Lockdown Impacted College Students’ Mental Health (NBC 10 Boston – excerpt in audio)
Pandemic’s mental health burden heaviest among young adults (ABC News)
5 Tips for Parents Who Have Their Young Adults Back Home (Moms)
Managing Family Conflict During Covid – Shrinking It Down (MGH Clay Center)
The Challenges of First-Generation College Students (MGH Clay Center)
How NCAA March Madness will look contained in Indianapolis (USA Today Sports)
Miami’s South Beach confronts disastrous spring break (Associated Press)
College Students of Color: Overcoming Racial Disparities and Discrimination (MGH Clay Center)
International College Students: Challenges and Solutions (MGH Clay Center)
COVID-19 related job insecurity linked to young adult mental health burden (Healio)
Self-Care In College (YouTube – MGH Clay Center)
‘No one is sure what to expect’: Schools, colleges add more counseling services to address student mental health (EdSource)
Educators are key in protecting student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic (Brookings)
Where to Turn (MGH Clay Center)
#wecanmanagethis (Twitter)
Atlanta shooting and the legacy of misogyny and racism against Asian women (ABC News)
Guide for Parents of Asian/Asian American Adolescents (William James College)
How Do We Heal From Here? A Guide for Families and Our Nation (MGH Clay Center)

If you or someone you know is in distress and needs support, connect with a crisis counselor 24/7:

Call 1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)
Text “HOME” to 741741 (US/Canada). UK: text 85258. Ireland: text 50808. (Crisis Text Line)

Tune in wherever you get your podcasts – just search for “Shrinking It Down.”

Music by Gene Beresin

Episode produced by Sara Rattigan

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Khadijah Booth Watkins, Associate Director

Khadijah Booth Watkins, MD, MPH, is associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Associate Director of the Child and...

To learn more about Khadijah, or to contact her directly, please see Our Team.

Gene Beresin, Executive Director

Gene Beresin, MD, MA is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also...

To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.