"There's Nothing Wrong With Her because She's Talking to Someone": Changes in Perceptions of Mental Health Among Emerging Adults During COVID-19

The mental health of emerging adults has been a focus of studies for several years, and this concern was heightened during COVID-19. Social scientists have extensively examined the effect the social and physical distancing precautions had on mental health with several articles focusing on college students and emerging adults. We investigated how COVID-19 impacted college students' views of mental health and the importance of mental health through a life course lens. We found that respondents developed a more positive and nuanced understanding of mental health both in themselves and others. This change was largely due to their own or a loved one's decrease in mental health or the increased rhetoric about the importance of mental health during the peak of COVID-19 precautions. The evolution in perceptions of mental health caretaking is a positive step as emerging adults grapple with significant life changes in a period of uncertainty.