Elsevier

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 63, Issue 3, September 2018, Pages 348-356
Journal of Adolescent Health

Original article
Mental Health Disparities Among College Students of Color

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.04.014Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

Understanding the mental health needs of students of color is a growing priority on college and university campuses nationwide. This study aims to capture the state of mental health among students of color, including the prevalence of mental health problems and treatment utilization.

Methods

The sample is comprised of 43,375 undergraduate and graduate students at 60 institutions that participated in the survey-based Healthy Minds Study from 2012 to 2015. These data include over 13,000 students of color; we look separately at African-American, Latinx, Asian/Asian American, and Arab/Arab American students. Data are analyzed at the individual level using bivariate and multivariate modeling to elucidate variations across race/ethnicity. We examine symptom prevalence (measured by validated screens such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression), help-seeking behaviors, and related factors (including knowledge and stigma).

Results

Across race/ethnicity, we find modest variation in symptom prevalence and larger variation in service utilization. Overall, treatment use is lower among students of color relative to white students, even when controlling for other variables in regression models. Asian/Asian American students have the lowest prevalence of treatment, at only 20% among those with apparent mental health conditions. Attitudes related to mental health treatment also vary significantly and help to explain the primary findings.

Conclusions

College students of color represent a disparities population based on greater levels of unmet mental health needs relative to white students. This paper takes an important step toward understanding these needs and points to implications for future research and practice.

Section snippets

Study design

Data: HMS is an annual web survey examining mental health, service utilization, and related factors among undergraduate and graduate students. In the present study, we analyze three waves of data (2012–2015), which include 60 institutions. Colleges and universities elect to participate in HMS; there are no exclusion criteria for institutional enrollment. Study sites are diverse across campus characteristics, including institutional type, geography, and selectivity.

Data were collected using

Mental health

Overall, 42% of students meet criteria for a mental health problem. The proportion who are flourishing ranges from 51% (Asians) to 62% (African-Americans). Prevalence of any mental health problem ranges from 40% (African-Americans) to 53% (Arab/Arab Americans), with higher prevalence among females relative to males of the same race/ethnicity (Table 2).

Knowledge and attitudes

Among students meeting criteria for a mental health problem, 87% report treatment by friends/family, 61% perceive a need for help, 68% know of

Discussion

This study provides the most detailed evidence to date on mental health and service use among college students of color at a national level. The ability to examine these outcomes among over 40,000 students, including more than 13,000 students of color, is a unique strength of the present study and an important contribution to the literature. Additionally, the use of a random sampling approach at the student-level increases the generalizability of our findings. In this large and diverse sample

Acknowledgments

All individuals who contributed significantly to this work are acknowledged as authors on this manuscript. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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    Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

    Disclaimer: This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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