Student mental health has declined in recent years, particularly among minoritized and first-generation students, yet research on their help-seeking behaviors is limited. This study aims to address these gaps by examining help-seeking attitudes, styles, and sources in college students, with a focus on minoritized groups. A total of 206…

First-in-family (FiF) students experience significant barriers to university participation and are less likely to seek mental health help. This can contribute to increased dropouts when compared to non-FiF students. Using a mixed methods approach, we aimed to ascertain sources of mental health support and underlying factors for the preferences…

First-generation college students (FGCS) are at risk for suffering from mental health issues, which have direct implication for their retention and academic success. Past investigators consistently find that college students are more likely to discuss mental health issues with their peers than with college personnel. The first step in peer-to-peer…

This study sought to add to the limited existing literature regarding the experiences and challenges of first-generation doctoral students. Amidst fifteen interviews with first-generation doctoral students, who completed their doctoral degree at an R1 research institution in California, the research provided information about the journey students…

Despite growing concern about mental health problems in university students and increasing recognition that first-generation university students (FGS) may face additional challenges, there has been no previous attempt to map the existing research on FGS mental health. The aim of this scoping review was to elicit current understanding of mental…

The literature investigating academic help-seeking suggests that first-generation college students are less likely to seek out help, less likely to attend office hours, and are less likely to use campus resources than continuing generation students. However, there is a lack in the literature investigating (a) what first-generation students do when…

Non-parent mentoring relationships are important protective factors for first-generation college students. Previous research has focused on singular mentoring relationships measured at one time point, failing to capture the breadth and dynamic nature of social networks. The current study is a longitudinal investigation of first-generation…

The dominant literature surrounding first-generation college students (FGCS) suggests that because neither of their parents obtained a four-year college degree, these students begin college at a deficit, ignoring the many familial resources students bring with them to college. FGCS succeed because of their families, not despite them (Gofen, 2009)…

Fifty-two strongly committed, first-generation Latina women attending a predominantly white institution (PWI) were asked how their first-generation status has had an impact on their college experience and where they see themselves in five years. Written responses to these questions were analyzed from the lens of "attribution theory" and…

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated inequities within higher education. This study examined how first-generation students, compared to their continuing-generation peers, navigated institutional resources such as programs and academic advising during the pandemic. To examine institutional resource barriers, usage, and helpfulness for students, the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the experiences of first-generation Latina doctoral students through their educational journey. Included in this dissertation were Latina doctoral students who identified as Mexican-American, were first generation students and attended the doctoral program part time. Each participant was still in…

This qualitative descriptive study explored how first-generation college students (FGCS) describe their academic help-seeking (AHS) processes at a large first-generation college student serving university in Southern California. FGCS are less likely to retain than their counterparts and can benefit from support with academic help-seeking. This…

Social capital plays a key role in college students' academic and career success. Using a random assignment design, the current study evaluated the impacts of a one-credit college course designed to increase student help-seeking and social capital within a racially diverse sample of college students. Compared to the control group, students in the…

This qualitative study investigated how student affairs professionals (SAPs) assist undocumented students in their designated institutional roles, and how their support empowers undocumented students to persist. This research sought to document and assess how student affairs professionals--who interact with undocumented students-- identify and…

First-generation college students (FGCS) experience a myriad of unique challenges when starting their university education, including perceiving themselves as being socially isolated on campus (Markowitz, 2016; Nazione et al., 2011; Wilkins, 2014), experiencing guilt as they leave behind academically family and friends (Banks-Santilli, 2015; Orbe,…