Emotional Distress and Access to Mental Healthcare Among First-Generation College Students During the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant mental health challenges for college students, particularly for students with minoritized identities. The current study used quantitative and qualitative methods to examine how psychological distress and barriers to mental healthcare shifted for first-generation college students (FGCS) as the pandemic affected campuses in Spring 2020. FGCS across three college settings (N = 314) responded to surveys in December 2019 and again following the onset of the pandemic in May/June 2020. A sub-sample of 28 participants also provided in-depth interviews . Results showed an increase in depressive symptoms and perceived stress following the onset of the pandemic, with Latinx and female FGCS reporting greater increases in stress compared to other groups. FGCS were significantly less confident in their knowledge about where to seek mental health support following the onset of the pandemic, and mental healthcare utilization dropped significantly as well. Interviews highlighted specific stressors contributing to mental health, as well as key barriers to mental healthcare that intensified during the pandemic. These findings inform our understanding of the mental health needs of college students with minoritized identities, and have implications for policies and procedures around provision of mental health services on university campuses.