The Impact of COVID-19 on Black College Students' Mental Health

Abstract:COVID-19 has had a deleterious impact on both the Black community and college students. Studies on this topic have taken a general approach and thus do not consider how the effects of the pandemic are distinct and potentially exacerbated among subgroups of students. The current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the psychological impact of COVID-19 on Black college students. A sample of Black college students (Mage = 20.09) was interviewed and asked to describe their emotional reactions to COVID-19 and their coping processes in response to the pandemic. Interview data were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research approach (Hill et al., 1997, 2005). Findings showed that a majority of students had a negative emotional reaction to the pandemic (e.g., low mood and stress), and a small subset of students had a positive emotional reaction (e.g., emotional growth). In addition, students tended to cope with the pandemic most commonly via engagement (e.g., positive reframing) and social support coping strategies. We discuss the implications of our findings and offer recommendations for how institutions may better support Black college students' mental health in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.