As more people across the nation become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, colleges and universities are evaluating the feasibility of bringing students safely back to campus. Of course, access to vaccines and healthcare, as well as protective measures like preventative testing and contact tracing are all top priorities, but administrators must also prepare to meet the mental health needs of their campuses most vulnerable students.
Black students who are first in their family to attend college are particularly vulnerable to mental health issues. They not only must navigate unfamiliar college experiences, but they are also coping with stressors associated with the virus’s disparate impact on Black communities and the country’s racial unrest.
Research shows that first-generation students report higher levels of depression/stress on average compared to non-first generation students; and, racism, insensitive comments, or questions of belonging, all contribute to adverse mental health outcomes for Black students. Combating racial/ethnic discrimination through political activism only exposes students to more stress and anxiety.
As members of the Black First-Gen Collective, we argue that post-secondary institutions must prioritize Black first-generation students’ mental health concerns and invest in Black-first-generation students’ mental health needs by establishing Black-first-generation student mental health research initiatives, creating support spaces, and providing culturally competent staff and training for administrators.
Focusing specifically on Black-first-generation college students will help us gain a clear understanding of the mental health stigma, self-concealment, and help-seeking attitudes. Access to this information may provide counseling and other support services on campus with the tools to develop and refine interventions and outreach programs specifically for Black first-generation college students.
A national survey conducted by the Jed Foundation during the fall 2020 semester reported 63 percent of students said their emotional health is worse than before the pandemic. But only 30 percent said they turned to counseling for support.
Studies indicate that many of the activities provided by counseling services foster engagement, access, and success.
