By: Sherry D. Molock, Ph.D., Siobhonn Job, MA & Alana Rule, MA Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, George Washington University.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disproportionately affects Black Americans in the United States (US), with Black people dying at a rate over two times higher than white people and nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population (CDC, 2022).
The COVID-19 pandemic is another manifestation of racial injustice against marginalized communities, as the Black community disproportionately experiences numerous health disparities (e.g., hypertension, diabetes), which increases their susceptibility to the coronavirus. COVID-19 has also had a deleterious impact on the mental health and wellbeing of members of the Black community as well.
Thomer et al. (2022) found the mental health of Black, Hispanic and Asian respondents worsened relative to Whites respondents during the pandemic, with tangible increases in depression and anxiety in racial minorities compared to Whites. Additionally, White respondents were more likely to receive mental health care both before and during the pandemic, thus leaving racialized minorities demonstrating higher levels of unmet psychological needs during COVID-19. (Thomer et al.,2022).
College students from communities of color are at a particularly challenging intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic as members of a marginalized community who were required to adapt to rapid changes in their academic, occupational, housing, and social situations. While the current literature on COVID-19 is limited given the recency and developing nature of the outbreak, a few studies have found negative implications for college students.
Molock and Parchem (2020) reported that college students of color experienced numerous disruptions to their schooling, work, and living situations as a result of this pandemic. These changes may create additional stressors related to academic progress, internship opportunities, and ability to enter the workforce. This current study provides a brief report on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the educational experiences and mental wellbeing of Black college students in the U.S.
The Study
The data was a subsample of students who were a part of the Healthy Minds Study (HMS, 2021), an annual survey examining mental health, service utilization, and related factors among college students administered by the Healthy Minds Network (HMN). In 2020, HMS surveyed 116,457 full- and part-time students from public and private, 2-and 4-year institutions; 3926 of these students were from communities of color.
While most reported analyses focuses solely on black students, some comparative analyses were performed on all students from communities of color to illustrate the experiences of Black students relative to their non-black peers. We selected a subgroup of 1171 college students between the ages of 18-24 who self- identified as Black or biracially Black (e.g., identified as Black and White). The sample was mostly female (75%), with 81% identifying as heterosexual, and 16% self-identifying as a member of the LGBTQ community.
The data indicated that Black and Latinx students reported more financial stress during the pandemic than other racial/ethnic groups. In general, Black students reported that they felt supported by college personnel, with 73% reporting they felt supported by professors and college administration, and 60% reporting they felt supported by campus mental health facilities.
However, nearly 1 in 4 students did not see their campus medical clinic as a resource available to them during the pandemic, and 20% felt similarly about their campus mental health facility.
Black students also reported witnessing and experiencing racial discrimination on campus during the pandemic; they most often witnessed discrimination against Asian students.
Black college students are at a particularly challenging intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic as members of a marginalized community forced to navigate significant disruptions to their academic and social environments. In the face of increased stressors and with lower mental health access than their white peers, Black college students are particularly at risk for poorer mental health outcomes.
Intersectionality
With intersectionality at the forefront of our minds, we also expect to see worse prognoses for Black students who are first-generation and from lower-income families, as these individuals may face additional challenges when making academic adjustments at home in the face of the pandemic, often experiencing heightened financial stress as the appointed breadwinner of the family (Kiebler & Stewart et al., 2022).
Thus, in considering the impact of COVID-19 on Black college-aged youth, it is essential to think not only of individual stressors like physical health and academics, but also to consider their identity and how it interplays with financial, familial, and societal stressors resulting from COVID-19 to undermine their overall coping and mental wellbeing.
References
- CDC (2022). Health Equity Considerations and Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html
- Kiebler J & Steward;, AJ (2022). Student experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: Perspectives from first-generation/lower-income students and others. Analysis of Social Issues and Public Policy. 22(1) 198-224. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12288
- Molock SD & Parchem, B. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on college students from communities of color. Journal of American College Health, https://doi/full/10.1080/07448481.2020.1865380
