The Impact of Mental Health on Community College Student Well-Being and Academic Performance
Author: Michele Antoinette LeBleu-Burns
Publisher:
Published: 2020
Total Pages: 203
ISBN-13:
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIncreasing numbers of community college students self-identify as having mental health issues, which negatively impact their academic performance. This study explored the relationship between mental health conditions and academic performance; the relationship between mental health conditions and physical and emotional well-being; and the impact of mental health interventions. The research setting was a large, urban, public community college in the San Francisco Bay Area with an annual enrollment of 19,000 students. Data from the ACHA-NCHA II survey, conducted in 2013, 2016, and 2018, were examined with a total of 2,562 full-time and part-time students. Chi-Square Test of Independence, ordinal logistic regression, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that there is a statistically significant relationship between anxiety, depression, and stress and academic performance and on student well-being and overall health as well. Additionally, there is a statistically significant relationship between students' well-being, academic performance, mental health conditions, and counseling participation in the college's mental health center. The results were reviewed for differences between students' ethnicity, gender, and age. This study revealed that, while students of color experience mental health conditions at similar rates as White students, they are less likely to seek treatment. Moreover, students of color are more likely to experience basic need insecurity, healthcare disparities, institutionalized racism, and the stigma associated with struggling with impaired mental health. Recommendations include implementing a mental health equity framework, increased outreach efforts to reduce stigma, and creating an inclusive and supportive campus climate for students of color.
