COVID-19 Resources for Youth and Young Adults

The isolation that youth and young adults have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted their mental health. This tip sheet offers some ideas and supports that youth and young adults can use to connect with others and help them feel better.

To keep the spread of the novel coronavirus down people are asked to continue following social distancing guidelines, which can impact employment and feelings of connectedness. Many people have not seen loved ones in-person for months. These are all very difficult on one’s mental health. Building or strengthening resiliency can help one adapt to the new challenges each of us are facing. We can look to persons with lived experience of mental health conditions as examples of how to develop resiliency

This tip sheet has questions that are intended to help students with mental health conditions, their supporters, and loved ones make decisions about whether the student should return to college this fall. Colleges and universities have probably answered many of the basic questions for regarding physical safety, finances, schedules, etc. But this tip sheet has questions schools may not have addressed that may be helpful to think about when making college students are making the decisions about returning to school. These questions may lead them to contacting your school for more information.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to lose income because of pay cuts, lay-offs, or furloughs. This loss of income can be very scary and may be the first time you’ve been on your own and out of work. It can be overwhelming to figure out how to pay your different bills (e.g., school loans, credit cards, rent, food, etc.). In order to make ends meet, you may need to use any emergency savings you’ve built, apply for unemployment benefits, or use your stimulus payment. This tip sheet provides some ideas and resources on how to manage if you’ve lost your job or are getting less pay due to the current health crisis.

In the wake of COVID-19, that tried and true saying of “putting on your mask first before helping others” takes on a whole new meaning and it applies even more. We asked our Family Advisory Board members to provide thoughts on how they adapted their self-care strategies and to share tips on supporting their loved ones with mental health conditions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 27, 2020 the President of the United States signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) stimulus bill into law. CARES Act is a law meant to address the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. One part of the bill provides a $1,200 direct payment (i.e., Economic Impact Payment, stimulus payment, stimulus check, etc.) to many Americans and $500 for each qualifying dependent child. But how can someone receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or other disability receive their stimulus payment? Also how does this money impact someone receiving SSI or other benefits. This tip sheet provides some information that may help answer these questions.

This is a tough time for everyone. College students have been asked to leave campus and finish the semester remotely, which may not be something they are used to. While this is a hard adjustment for most college students, this change may be more difficult for young adult college students with mental health conditions. Since trying to finish the semester remotely can be a challenge, we’ve collected some tips that may be helpful.

The world is a little scary and stressful right now because the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted many people’s lives in one way or another. Being anxious during a time like this is completely normal, but the fear and uncertainty can have a negative impact on your mental health. Now more than ever taking care of your mental health is a priority...

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic many workers are shifting from coming into their workplace to working from home. This may be a new challenge for many workers. Successfully working from home can present unique challenges, from how to focus with at-home distractions, to trying to be productive, trying to communicate well with team members from afar, and childcare. Here at the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research, many of our faculty and staff have years of experience mastering the art of remote work and have put together a list of their top 5 tips and tricks to navigating this strange new world.