Family life events: A predictor of mental health for students attending southeastern HBCUs

Lisa K Battle, Tennessee State University

Abstract

An increasing concern in the United States is the number of college students who are dealing with mental health issues (Soet & Sevig, 2006). This article explored family life events as a predictor of mental health discomfort, and examine potential moderators (socio-economic status, college changes, and resilience) to that relationship. Other studies have indicated a link between two of these variables; however, there does not appear to be literature that examines the link among these three variables simultaneously. Therefore, undergraduates (n=132) attending a Historically Black College and University participated in a survey containing: Demographic Questions, Symptom Questionnaire, Young Adult Family Inventory of Life Events and College Changes, and Dispositional Resilience Scale to explore the factors predictive relationship on mental health discomfort. A hierarchical multiple liner regression was implemented in this study to explore the relationship. Family life events only predicted depression and somatic symptoms. College Changes was a moderator to all the types of mental health discomfort, while socio-economic status was only a moderator for somatic symptoms. Resilience was not identified as a moderator. These findings provide a foundation for gaining a more in-depth understanding of college student's stressors.

Subject Area

Mental health|Counseling Psychology|Individual & family studies|Higher education

Recommended Citation

Lisa K Battle, "Family life events: A predictor of mental health for students attending southeastern HBCUs" (2014). ETD Collection for Tennessee State University. Paper AAI3623111.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3623111

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