Fourteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

Anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation are common mental health problems experienced by the youths. First generation minority college students in particular are at elevated risks of feeling overwhelmed compared to their white counterparts. Prior research documents that while all college students face a variety of challenges, minority students often experience additional sources of psychological distress that can negatively affect their success in college. Mental health, therefore, is increasingly being recognized as a priority in many minority serving college campuses. The objective of this study is to examine the stigma and barriers to help seeking behavior among minority first generation college students. In-depth interviews were conducted guided by a set of open-ended questions. From the transcribed interviews, themes were identified, and then analyzed using the thematic coding strategy. Many of the youth participants had ever experienced substantial depression, anxiety disorder, or some mental illness symptoms. Lack of awareness about mental health services appeared to be a major barrier to seek help. Lack of skills about how to talk to someone about mental health problems appeared to be another reason for not seeking help. Recommendations/Implications: To reduce minority college students’ stigma and encourage their help seeking behaviors, college campuses may consider making the mental health service information more accessible, and focus on providing skills to students on how to handle conversations regarding mental health issues.