It's Not Burnout, It's More: Queer College Activists of Color and Mental Health

Abstract

A phenomenological study of the experiences of self-identified queer activists of color revealed how they coped with the competing demands of academics, family, and activism. While participants exhibited innumerable strengths, they often contended with external and internal pressures, limited social support, poor boundaries, and lack of self-care. The absence of social support, in conjunction with poor self-care, a heightened sense of responsibility for others, and multiple minority identity explorations, left college student activists experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, and in some cases suicidal ideation.

KEYWORDS:

• college students
• sexual orientation
• race
• burnout
• compassion fatigue

Notes

1. See Borgman (2009) for a similar presentation of phenomenological findings.