Hispanic/Latinx College Students’ Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Familismo and Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT

Hispanic/Latinx student enrollment in U.S. colleges has increased over the last decade; however, disparities in degree completion still exist. Hispanic/Latinx college students experience a variety of challenges, including cultural stressors, that when compounded with stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, further increase the risk for academic and mental health problems. Familismo and self-efficacy are protective factors for Hispanic/Latinx student mental health; yet their main and interaction effects in unique adverse circumstances, such as a global pandemic, are not yet well understood. Using survey data from a sample of Hispanic/Latinx college students, this study examined the impact of familismo, self-efficacy, and their interaction on mental health during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although results suggest that the main effects of familismo and self-efficacy are associated with fewer days during which students experienced mental health symptoms, the interaction between familismo and self-efficacy was associated with more days during which mental health symptoms were experienced. Study findings have implications for the development and implementation of culturally sensitive and responsive mental health and educational services for Hispanic/Latinx college students.

KEYWORDS:

• Hispanic/Latinx
• college students
• familismo
• self-efficacy
• mental health

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to all the students who participated in this study and the Center for Mexican American and Latino/a Studies for their support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Science Research Council [COVID-19 Rapid-Response Grant].