A Mental Health Literacy Approach to Supporting First-Generation Community College Student Mental Health: The REDFLAGS Model

Objective: First-generation community college students face unique risks for mental health distress, which can place them at risk for attrition and a myriad of other negative consequences. The aim of the present quantitative investigation was to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model, a mental health literacy based tool for supporting mental wellness, with a national sample of first-generation community college students. Method: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), logistic regression analysis, and a factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) were computed to test the utility of the REDFLAGS model as a tool for promoting first-generation community college students’ mental health. Results: The CFA demonstrated that the dimensionality of the REDFLAGS model was estimated adequately with first-generation community college students. First-generation community college students’ recognition of the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress emerged as a significant positive predictor of making a peer-to-peer referral to the counseling center. The factorial ANOVA revealed that first-generation community college students who were members of a Greek Organization were more likely to identify the REDFLAGS as warning signs for mental distress. Contributions: Previous investigators established multiple strategies for supporting the mental health needs of either first-generation or community college students. First-generation community college student mental health, however, has received little attention. This study demonstrates the utility of the REDFLAGS model with first-generation community college students. Considering the dearth of literature on first-generation community college student mental health, the REDFLAGS model offers novel implications for promoting the mental health needs of first-generation students enrolled in community colleges.

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Imposter Syndrome Among First- and Continuing-Generation College Students: The Roles of Perfectionism and Stress

Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice ◽

10.1177/15210251211019379 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152102512110193

Author(s):

Chelsey L. Holden ◽

Lindsay E. Wright ◽

Angel M. Herring ◽

Pat L. Sims

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

College Student ◽

First Generation ◽

Research Study ◽

First Generation Students ◽

Student Mental Health ◽

College Student Mental Health ◽

Socially Prescribed Perfectionism

More research is needed to understand the relationships between imposter syndrome, perfection, and stress, as well as how they might be similar or different among first- and continuing-generation college students. This research study examines the relationships among imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and stress among first- and continuing-generation college students. Participants included 388 college students, including 184 (47.4%) first-generation students. Results indicate levels of imposter syndrome and stress are similar between first- and continuing-generation students. Levels of socially prescribed perfectionism are significantly correlated with imposter syndrome and stress for both groups; however, imposter syndrome is more strongly associated with stress among first-generation students. Implications for college student mental health and retention are discussed.

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Community College Student Mental Health

Community College Review ◽

10.1177/0091552114535466 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 307-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Daniel Seth Katz ◽

Karen Davison

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Community College ◽

College Student ◽

Community College Student ◽

Student Mental Health ◽

College Student Mental Health

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Plagiarism and the Community College

Student Plagiarism in an Online World ◽

10.4018/978-1-59904-801-7.ch009 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 124-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Teri Thomson Maddox

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

College Student ◽

Community College Students ◽

Community College Student ◽

Student Population ◽

Educational Institutions ◽

College Mission ◽

Community College Mission ◽

College Student Population

Although plagiarism is a problem in all educational institutions, the diversity of the community college student population and of the community college mission creates even more challenges. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss characteristics of community college students, define intentional and unintentional plagiarism, and provide methods that faculty can use to help students avoid both kinds of plagiarism.

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“They Never Told Me What to Expect, So I Didn't Know What to Do”: Defining and Clarifying the Role of a Community College Student

Teachers College Record ◽

10.1177/016146811411600403 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 116 (4) ◽

pp. 1-40

Author(s):

Melinda M. Karp ◽

Rachel H. Bork

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

College Student ◽

Community College Students ◽

Role Theory ◽

College Success ◽

College Persistence ◽

Community College Student ◽

Student Role

Background Low community college completion rates are an area of concern for policymakers and practitioners. Although many students require developmental education upon entry, research suggests that even students who are deemed “college-ready” by virtue of their placement test scores or completion of developmental coursework may not earn a credential, suggesting that college readiness encompasses more than academic skill. Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide an empirically grounded description of the role of the community college student. Drawing on sociological role theory, we articulate the largely unspoken expectations, behaviors, and attitudes to which students must adhere if they are to be successful. In doing so, we begin to clarify a piece of the college success puzzle that has heretofore been underexamined. We also extend current literature on college persistence by integrating theories of psychosocial identity, social roles, and college persistence. Research Design The study uses qualitative data from semistructured interviews conducted with community college students (n = 97) and faculty and staff (n = 72) from a study of student success courses in three community colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). We examined a subset of interview questions investigating the expectations that staff and faculty hold of community college students. We used analytic induction to categorize disparate expectations into discrete components of the community college student role. Findings Relying on sociological conceptions of the role, we find that the demands and expectations placed on community college students are different from other social positions with which individuals are familiar, particularly with regard to the level of fluidity and demands for self-awareness. We also identify four distinct components of the role of community college student: academic habits, cultural know-how, balancing multiple demands, and help seeking. Conclusions Our data clarify the nonacademic components of college success that contribute to academic readiness. We also find agreement between our data and other college persistence literature focused on other student populations. Our findings extend current understandings of the psychosocial transition to college by paying attention to the cultural elements of the community college student role. This paper concludes with suggestions for future research.

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Mental Health Issues Facing a Diverse Sample of College Students: Results from the College Student Mental Health Survey

NASPA Journal ◽

10.2202/0027-6014.1676 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 43 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Johanna Soet ◽

Todd Sevig

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

College Students ◽

College Student ◽

Health Survey ◽

Research Policy ◽

Health Issues ◽

Student Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Issues ◽

College Student Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Survey

Over the past 5 years there has been increased attention given to mental health issues on college and university campuses across the country. However, few research efforts have been conducted to systematically investigate the mental health of college students. The College Student Mental Health Survey was undertaken as a first step towards gaining a better understanding of the broad range of mental health issues that face the college student population. This exploratory study describes the mental health history and current distress and coping of 939 college students from a large Midwestern public university, with an approximate enrollment of 40,000 students. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

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Calculator Algorithms for Fractions with Community College Students

Journal for Research in Mathematics Education ◽

10.5951/jresematheduc.12.5.0349 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 349-355

Author(s):

Judith H. Hector ◽

Henry Frandsen

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

College Student ◽

Community College Students ◽

Community College Student ◽

The Third ◽

Dependent Variables

Three different methods of teaching fraction computation were compared using community college student scores on measures of fraction computation, fraction understanding, and attitude toward mathematics. One method used conventional algorithms; the second, a control for the effect of using a calculator, used conventional algorithms and calculators; the third used calculator-based algorithms. Differences between methods on the three dependent variables were not statistically significant. Pretest to posttest differences were significant for all groups, with fraction computation scores making the largest contribution to the increase in scores.

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