This qualitative study examines the experiences of former nontraditional-age students with depression and reasons that led them to leave college prematurely. Constant comparative methods were used to illuminate themes within and across participants' stories. The findings showcase eight complex interlocking factors that these former students grapple with in pursuit of a college education. Implications to improve the retention of nontraditional college students with depression are discussed.
American College Health Association. (2013). National college health assessment. Retrieved from http://www.acha-ncha.org/.
2.
American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5, Washington, DC: Author.
3.
ArbuckleJ.GaleD. (1996) A comparison of the psychosocial developmental levels of traditional freshman and nonfreshman students: Are they really different?NACADA Journal16(1): 21–27.
4.
AslanianC. (1997) Highlights from adult learning in America: A national study on how, when, and why adults go back to school. The changing world of adult learning: Meeting the needs of tomorrow's adult students, New York, NY: College Entrance Examination Board.
5.
BelchH. A. (2004–2005) Retention and students with disabilities. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice6(1): 3–22.
6.
BowlM. (2001) Experiencing the barriers: Non-traditional students entering higher education. Research Papers in Education16(2): 141–160.
7.
BuchananJ. L. (2012) Prevention of depression in the college student population: A review of the literature. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing26(1): 21–42. doi:10.1016/j.apnu.2011.03.003.
8.
CollinsM.MowbrayC. (2008) Students with psychiatric disabilities on campus: Examining predictors of enrolment with disability services. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability21(2): 91–104.
9.
CookL.RumrillP. D.TankersleyM. (2009) Priorities and understanding of faculty members regarding college students with disabilities. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education21(1): 84–96.
10.
CookL. J. (2007) Striving to help college students with mental health issues. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services45: 40–44.
11.
FieldT.DiegoM.PelaezM.DeedsO.DelgadoJ. (2012) Depression and related problems in university students. College Student Journal46(1): 193.
12.
HuntJ.EisenbergD. (2010) Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health46: 3–10.
13.
HussainR.GuppyM.RobertsonS.TempleE. (2013) Physical and mental health perspectives of first year undergraduate rural university students. BMC Public Health13: 848. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/13/848.
14.
IaroviciD. (2014) Mental health issues and the university student, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
15.
IbrahimA. K.KellyS. J.AdamsC. E.GlazebrookC. (2013) A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students. Journal of Psychiatric Research47(3): 391–400.
16.
JusticeE. M.DornanT. M. (2001) Metacognitive differences between traditional-age and nontraditional-age college students. Adult Education Quarterly51(236): 236–249.
17.
MorenoM. A.JelenchickL. A.EganK. G.CoxE.YoungH.GannonK. E.BeckerT. (2011) Feeling bad on Facebook: Depression disclosures by college students on a social networking site. Depression and Anxiety28(6): 447–455.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education. (2007). Nontraditional undergraduates/definitions and data. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs/web/97578e.asp.
SalzarM. S. (2012) A comparative study of campus experiences of college students with mental illnesses versus a general college sample. Journal of American College Health60(1): 1–7. doi:10.1080/07448481.2011.552537.
23.
SchuetzeH. G.SloweyM. (2002) Participation and exclusion: A comparative analysis of nontraditional students and lifelong learners in higher education. Higher Education44(3): 309–327.
24.
ScottL.LewisC. (2012) Nontraditional college students: Assumptions, self-perceptions and directions for meaningful academic experience. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences6(4): 1–10.
25.
StraussA.CorbinJ. (1998) Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
26.
Thompson-Ebanks, V. (2014). International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education, 17(2), 18–28.
27.
TintoV. (1987) Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
28.
TintoV. (1990) Principles of effective retention. Journal of the Freshmen Year Experience2(1): 35–48.
29.
TintoV. (1993) Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
30.
TrammellJ. (2009) Red-shirting college students with disabilities. Learning Assistance Review14(2): 21–31.