Depressive Symptomatology and College Persistence among African American College Students

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between depressive symptomatology and college outcomes among African American students, as well as to determine whether these relationships were moderated by gender and type of university. Participants included 569 African American first-year students attending two public universities in the Southeast United States: a historically Black college/university (HBCU) and a predominantly White institution (PWI). Using a longitudinal study design, data were collected at three time points. Results indicated that, after adjusting for the effects of the control variables (gender, type of institution, high school GPA, participation in on-campus activities, institutional and goal commitments), depressive symptomatology present in the first semester of college was associated with increased likelihood of dropping out of college before the end of the second year of college. The relationship between these two variables was mediated by first-year cumulative GPA. Results also indicated that the hypothesized relationships did not vary as a function of gender and the university type.

KEYWORDS:

• African American students
• academic achievement
• college persistence
• college dropout
• depression

Author notes

Güler Boyraz is an assistant professor of Counseling Psychology at Louisiana Tech University. Her research interests include bereavement adjustment, posttraumatic stress, and resilience. Currently, Dr. Boyraz and her research team are exploring the effects of depression and posttraumatic stress on college students' development. Sharon G. Horne is a professor of Counseling Psychology and the Director of Training for the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Horne has been researching GLBTQ as well as college student development concerns for many years, focusing on the role of mental health. She is a licensed psychologist. Archandria C. Owens is a staff psychologist at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her doctoral work focused on the African American male experience and the impact of race-related stress, hypermasculinity, and sexuality on identity development. Dr. Owens. clinical interests include multiculturalism and diversity, grief and loss, spirituality in psychotherapy, and trauma recovery. Aisha P. Armstrong is a Ph.D. candidate in Counseling Psychology at Tennessee State University. Ms. Armstrong.s areas of research and clinical interests include: multicultural issues, women.s issues, the academic and career development of ethnic minority college students, psychological assessment, and the interpersonal approach to psychotherapy.

Funding

This study was supported by funding from a Tennessee Board of Regents Diversity Research Grant.