Quarantined effects and strategies of college students – COVID-19

Ginu, George Thomas Mary Rani

PurposeThe world is battling with one of the biggest health crisis caused by novel COVID-19. This paper aims to understand the effect of quarantine on the psychological health of college students and the coping strategies adopted by them.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted the interview method and focused on two crucial open-ended questions: how quarantine has impacted and what are the strategies adopted to overcome the same. The response was recorded through email and phone from a sample of 30 students.FindingsMost of the students stated that they are going through issues like anxiety, depression, infection fear, ambiguity due to this pandemic and the lockdown related to it. However, they engage themselves with various activities that help them to combat this situation.Practical implicationsEducation institutions can focus on conducting online fest and other events to engage students more productively. They can also focus on developing a wellness application to support these students. They can provide solutions and tips to balance mental health and wellness during these times.Originality/valueEveryone knows about COVID-19 and the measures taken related to it, but not much about the impact of it on mental health. This paper discusses the negative impact of quarantine on students and coping strategies adopted by them. The strategies mentioned in the study can guide quarantined people, student community, parents, counsellors and academic facilitators to handle the situation in a better way.