267330 Stress, Coping, and Oppression - Prevention and Education (SCOPE) Project: Psychosocial health indicators among students at a predominantly white institution and a historically black college

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Larrell Wilkinson, PhD, MSPH, CHES , Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, University of South Carolina - Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Jelani C. Kerr, PhD , Centre for Research on Inner City Health, Saint Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
Michelle S. Williams, MPH, CHES , Department of Health Behavior, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Muhammad Salaam , Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Minnjuan Flournoy, PhD, MPH, MBAc , Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Jametta Magwood, MPH , Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Edith M. Williams, PhD, MS , Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Saundra Glover, MBA, PhD , Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities, University of South Carolina - Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
Historically, African-Americans (AAs) have been marginalized and report greater exposure to discrimination. Consequently, AAs may experience disparate outcomes related to poorer overall health, lowered educational success, and other undesirable consequences. Discriminatory experiences contribute significantly to diminished psychological well-being and distress. Although the relationship between discrimination and poorer mental health is well-documented, experiences of discrimination within AA subpopulations should be examined. Quantitative data was collected during the spring of 2010 from 822 undergraduate and graduate students at a historically black college (HBC) and a predominantly white institution (PWI) in a southeastern US metropolitan city. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of the independent variable and covariates with psychological distress and well-being. Mean scores for day-to-day discrimination were higher for AA graduate students (5.3) compared to Caucasians (3.2) (p < 0.0001). AAs were 4 times more likely than Caucasians to experience moderate amounts of discrimination and 24 times more likely to experience high amounts of discrimination. Among undergraduate students, a greater proportion of HBC students did not feel comfortable utilizing the counseling center (23%), did not feel safe on campus (26%), and did not feel there was a campus department for diversity (12.5%) versus PWI students (p < 0.05). Decreased psychological well-being was associated with increased reporting of daily discrimination among AA men (p < 0.05). Findings identify factors related to psychosocial health among young educated AAs. Higher learning institutions should consider the importance of the campus environment and minority student experiences when designing and implementing student services.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe racial and contextual differences associated with psychological health among graduate students at a predominantly white institution Differentiate contextual and individual influences that impact psychological health among black undergraduate students attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Predominantly White Institutions Identify if discrimination is a significant contributor to overall psychological-wellbeing and academic performance among African American men

Keywords: Health Disparities, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I served as the principal investigator and coordinator on the exploratory study. I have also spent 5 years in the field of student affairs, working with predominantly minority students. Furthermore, I completed my doctoral work studying health disparities and psychosocial factors. I currently work in increasing psychosocial wellness among young adults in the military, while also pursuing research interests in increasing mental and social wellness among adolescents.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2034.0: Social Determinants of Health and the African Diaspora