Positive mental health in Black college students

What is it about?

Positive mental health (PMH) is an understudied phenomenon in Black college students, which is concerning given they report higher levels of psychological distress. PMH is comprised of social, emotional, and psychological well-being and relates to positive affect and functioning. To better understand PMH in Black students, this study examines levels of PMH in traditional and nontraditional Black students, as well as identifying protective factors within these subgroups to promote flourishing within the college setting.

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Why is it important?

Although Black students face many formidable challenges in higher education, low rates of help-seeking have been documented for these students. Therefore, understanding factors promoting PMH is important given it buffers against mental illness. Our findings highlight that Black students are not a monolith, in which more nontraditional students were flourishing compared to traditional students. Furthermore, there were no significant variations in PMH among Black students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or predominantly White institutions (PWIs), further highlighting the need for higher education institutions to incorporate identified factors into existing services and programs to increase flourishing among Black students.

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