Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Cutler White, Carol

Committee Member

Coats, Linda T.

Committee Member

King, Stephanie B.

Date of Degree

12-13-2024

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU only 2 years

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Community College Leadership

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Industrial Technology, Instructional Design, and Community College Leadership

Abstract

Mental health challenges face many college students. Community college students encounter unique stressors and challenges that impact their mental health. Issues such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, and struggles with suicidal thoughts and attempts plague many students as they juggle the demands of being a college student with other responsibilities in life. The mental health of students often impacts daily functioning, including their academic performance. Reduced completion and graduation rates and campus safety concerns are felt by the community college. Community college campuses often provide various forms of mental health treatment options to help students address mental health issues. However, students may not be aware of the available options. Furthermore, students may encounter barriers that make it difficult or impossible to access the available resources. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of mental health concerns between traditional and nontraditional community college students, the awareness of available services, and the willingness of students to utilize available campus mental health services. This quantitative study examined the results of the nationwide 2022-2023 Healthy Minds Study, which examined various mental health factors among college students including prior or current mental health diagnosis, symptoms of mental illness, impact of symptoms on daily functioning, awareness of resources and campus outreach efforts, experience with mental health treatment, outlook on future treatment, and willingness to seek treatment. Independent samples t-tests and chi-square tests for independence were utilized to examine differences between the responses of traditional and nontraditional community college students. Data were analyzed through the lens of Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior. The results of this study reveal valuable insight into the needs and intentions of both traditional and nontraditional students related to their mental health. Traditional students indicated having more symptoms and functional impacts from symptoms of mental illness than their nontraditional counterparts. Nontraditional students indicated a greater willingness to seek treatment and were more aware of campus outreach and resource opportunities. Further research should examine additional characteristics of community college students to better guide campus leadership in their efforts to meet the mental health needs of students.

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