Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2016-7
A Pilot Examination of Differences in College Adjustment Stressors and Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Between White,Hispanic and White,Non-Hispanic Female College Students
Differences in four adjustment stressors (family, interpersonal, career, and academic), and depression and anxiety symptoms were examined between White, non-Hispanic and White, Hispanic undergraduate college female students. White, Hispanic female college students reported significantly greater academic and family adjustment stressors than White, non-Hispanic students. None of the socioeconomic or demographic variables predicted adjustment stress, depression, or anxiety. Findings are discussed in terms of college mental health outreach and future research directions.
AlfaroE. C.Umaña-TaylorA. J.Gonzales-BackenM. A.BámacaM. Y.ZeidersK. H. (2009). Latino adolescents’ academic success: The role of discrimination, academic motivation, and gender. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 941-962. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.08.007
2.
American College Health Association. (2014). American College Health Association—National college health assessment undergraduate student reference group executive summary sprint 2014. Baltimore, MD: Author.
3.
AntonW. D.ReedsJ. R. (1991). College adjustment scales. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
4.
BayramN.BilgelN. (2008). The prevalence and socio-demographic correlations of depression, anxiety and stress among a group of university students. Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43, 667-672.
5.
BeckA.SteerR. (1974). The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). San Antonio, TX: The Psychology Corporation.
6.
BeckA.WardC.MendelsonM.MockJ.ErbaughJ. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561-571.
7.
CaballeroA. E. (2011). Understanding the Hispanic/Latino patient. The American Journal of Medicine, 124(10), S10-S15. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2011.07.018
8.
CampbellM.PalmieriM.LaschB. (2006). Concurrent validity of the College Adjustment Scales using comparison with the MMPI College Maladjustment Scale. Psychological Reports, 99, 1003-1007.
9.
CastilloL. G.ConoleyC. W.BrossartD. F. (2004). Acculturation, White marginalization, and family support as predictors of perceived distress in Mexican American female college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 151-157.
10.
CochranW. G. (1952). The χ2 test of goodness of fit. Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 23, 315-345.
11.
CohenS.Janicki-DevertsD. (2012). Who’s stressed? Distributions of psychological stress in the United States in probability samples from 1983, 2006, and 2009. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 42, 1320-1334.
12.
CrockettL. J.IturbideM. I.Torres StoneR. A.McGinleyM.RaffaelliM.CarloG. (2007). Acculturative stress, social support, and coping: Relations to psychological adjustment among Mexican American college students. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 13, 347-355.
13.
CuellarI.RobertsR. E. (1997). Relations of depression, acculturation, and socioeconomic status in a Latino sample. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 19, 230-238.
14.
DonovanR. A.HuynhQ.ParkI. J. K.KimS. Y.LeeR. M.RobersonE. (2013). Relationships among identity, perceived discrimination, and depressive symptoms in eight ethnic-generational groups. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 397-414. doi:10.1002/jclp.21936
15.
ElliottA. N.AlexanderA. A.PierceT. W.AspelmeierJ. E.RichmondJ. M. (2009). Childhood victimization, poly-victimization, and adjustment to college in women. Child Maltreatment, 14, 330-343. doi:10.1177/1077559509332262
16.
GloriaA. M.RodriguezE. R. (2000). Counseling Latino university students: Psychosociocultural issues for consideration. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, 145-154. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2000.tb02572.x
17.
HorowitzL.RosenbergS. E.BaerB. A.UrenoG.VillasenorV. S. (1988). Inventory of interpersonal problems: Psychometric properties and clinical applications. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 885-892.
18.
HuntJ.EisenbergD. (2010). Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46, 3-10. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.08.008
19.
HurtadoS.HanJ. C.SáenzV. B.EspinosaL. L.CabreraN. L.CernaO. S. (2007). Predicting transition and adjustment to college: Biomedical and behavioral science aspirants’ and minority students’ first year of college. Research in Higher Education, 48, 841-887.
20.
KitzrowM. A. (2003). The mental health needs of today’s college students: Challenges and recommendations. NASPA Journal, 41, 167-181.
21.
KleinmuntzB. (1960). Identification of maladjusted college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 7, 209-211.
22.
KuhG. D.CruceT. M.ShoupR.KinzieJ.GonyeaR. M. (2008). Unmasking the effects of student engagement on first-year college grades and persistence. The Journal of Higher Education, 79, 540-563. doi:10.1353/jhe.0.0019
23.
LancasterH. O. (1969). The chi-squared distribution. New York, NY: John Wiley.
24.
MoradiB.RiscoC. (2006). Perceived discrimination experiences and mental health of Latina/o American persons. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 411-421. doi:10.1177/0739986308323056
25.
MorrisonR.O’ConnorR. C. (2005). Predicting psychological distress in college students: The role of rumination and stress. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 447-460.
26.
NoraA.BarlowE.CrispG. (2005). Student persistence and degree attainment beyond the first year in college: The need for research. In SeidmanA. (Ed.), College student retention: Formula for student success (pp. 130-153). Westport, CT: Praeger.
27.
OlsonD. H. (1985). FACES III (Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scales). St. Paul: University of Minnesota.
28.
OsipowS. (1987). Career decision scale. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
29.
PascoeE. A.Smart RichmanL. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 531-554. doi:10.1037/a0016059
30.
QuintanaS. M.VogelM. C.YbarraV. C. (1991). Meta-analysis of Latino students’ adjustment in higher education. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 13, 155-168.
31.
RenX. S.AmickB. C.WilliamsD. R. (1999). Racial/ethnic disparities in health: The interplay between discrimination and socioeconomic status. Ethnicity & Disease, 9, 151-165.
32.
RobbinsS. B.DavisD.HuyL.LauverK.LangelyR. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130, 261-288.
33.
RodriguezN.MyersH. F.MorrisJ. K.CardozaD. (2000). Latino college student adjustment: Does an increased presence offset minority-status and acculturative stresses?Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 1523-1550.
34.
RosenthalB. S.SchreinerA. C. (2000). Prevalence of psychological symptoms among undergraduate students in an ethnically diverse urban public college. Journal of American College Health, 49, 12-18. doi:10.1080/07448480009596277
35.
SchwartzS. J.WatermanA. S.Umaña-TaylorA. J.LeeR. M.KimS. Y.VazsonyiA. T.. . .WilliamsM. K. (2013). Acculturation and well-being among college students from immigrant families. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 298-318. doi:10.1002/jclp.21847
36.
SmedleyB. D.MyersH. F.HarrellS. P. (1993). Minority-status stresses and the college adjustment of ethnic minority freshmen. The Journal of Higher Education, 64, 434-452.
37.
SoetJ.SevigT. (2006). Mental health issues facing a diverse sample of college students: Results from the college student mental health survey. NASPA Journal, 43, 410-431.
38.
SpielbergerC. D.GorsuchR. L.LusheneR.VaggP. R.JacobsG. A. (1983). Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
39.
StrageA. (2000). Predictors of college adjustment and success: Similarities and differences among Southeast-Asian-American, Hispanic and White students. Education, 120, 731-740.
40.
TorresJ. B.SolbergV. S. (2001). Role of self-efficacy, stress, social integration, and family support in Latino college student persistence and health. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59, 53-63.
41.
Van HellR. J. (2007). Latino college students’ adjustment: The influence of familism, acculturation, and social supports. In Montero-SieburthM.MelendezE. (Eds.), Latinos in a changing society (pp. 135-160). Westport, CT: Praeger.
42.
WilliamsD. R.YanY.JacksonJ. S.AndersonN. B. (1997). Racial differences in physical and mental health: Socio-economic status, stress and discrimination. Journal of Health Psychology, 2, 335-351.
43.
WohlgemuthE.BetzN. E. (1991). Gender as a moderator of the relationships of stress and social support to physical health in college students. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 367-374.
44.
WycoffS. E. (1996). Academic performance of Mexican American women: Sources of support that serve as motivating variables. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 24, 146-155.
