Neuroplasticity, Intersectionality & Mental

Health Continued

Disparities in Mental Health among College Students

– Greater levels of unmet mental health needs relative to white students.

– Some studies show higher rates of depression and anxiety among students of color as well as higher levels of functional impairment compared to white students where some have found no differences

– Lower odds of help seeking

– 73% lower odds of being diagnosed for African-Americans, 64% lower odds of medication use and 51% lower odds of therapy for Asian students

– Personal stigma is associated with lower odds of help-seeking more than other barriers

(Lipson, et al 2019)

Why might studies show variations in of unmet mental health needs?

Minority Related Stressors & Mental Health

What are some of the minority stressors?– Environmental

– Interpersonal Stressors

– Intragroup Stressors

– Race-related Stressors

– Achievement Related Stressors

(Smedley 1993)

Variations in studies?

Predominantly White Colleges and Universities – Higher levels of environmental,

intrapersonal and intragroup stressors

Historically Black Colleges and University's– Very few experiences of minority

status stress within their campus environemnt

Why is this important?

Intersectionalities

–Negative influences?–Positive influences?–Neutral?

Stress & Coping Framework

– Discrimination can be conceptualized as a social stressor and chronic exposure could impact the wear and tear on the body (Lazarus & Folkman 1984)

– Stress Response increases the risk of negative health outcomes

– Coping with chronic discrimination may deplete an individual's resources needed engage in healthy behaviors. (Major et al 2013)

What happens when we look at combined effect of intersectionality?

– Like: Minority Stress, Mental Health, and Black, Latino and Multiracial Gay and Bisexual Men? (English, D. H. et al 20198)

– This study showed higher levels of emotion regulation difficulties and higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Take Aways?

Citations

– Lipson, S.K., Kern, K., Eisenberg, D. & Breland-Noble, A.M (2019). Mental Health Disparities Among College Students of Color. Journal of Adolescent Health, 63, 349-356.

– Smedley, B. D., Myers, H. F., & Harrell, S. P. (1993). Minority-status stresses and the college adjustment of ethnic minority freshmen. Journal of Higher Education, 64(4), 434-451.

– Greer, T.M., & Chwalisz, K. (2007). Minority-Related Stressors and Coping Processes Among African American College Students. Journal of College Student Development 48(4), 388-404. doi:10.1353/csd.2007.0037.

– Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer.

– Major, B., Mendes, W. B., & Dovidio, J. F. (2013). Intergroup relations and health disparities: A social psychological perspective. Health Psychology, 32, 514–524. 10.1037/a0030358

– English, Devin; Rendina, H. Jonathon; Parsons, Jeffrey T.; Psychology of Violence, Vol 8(6), Nov, 2018 Special Issue: Hate and Violence: Addressing Discrimination Based on Race, Ethnicity, Religion, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity. pp. 669-679. Publisher: Educational Publishing Foundation; [Journal Article], Database: