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Date of Award

12-2022

Document Type

Restricted Thesis: Campus only access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Child Development

Department

Child Development

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dhillon Brar, Manpreet

Abstract

There is an established link between stress and well-being among undergraduates as high stress levels are associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms (Kroshus et al., 2021). College students are especially vulnerable to negative mental health outcomes due to the unique stressors they experience related to attending college (Beiter et al., 2015). Emerging research on Latinx students has found that college stressors (e.g., academics, finances, and social life) are detrimental to psychological well-being (Arbona & Jimenez, 2014; S. K. Jones et al., 2022; Rodriguez et al., 2000). This thesis used survey data to investigate the relationship between college stress, psychological well-being, and social support among Latinx first-generation college students (N = 120) attending a Hispanic Serving Institution. I hypothesized that each source of college stress (financial, academic, and social) would be associated with increases in depression and anxiety levels for Latinx first-generation college students. Additionally, I hypothesized that social support from family and friends would moderate the relationship between stress and psychological well-being. Results indicated that each college stressor contributed to students’ depression and anxiety levels. However, findings did not support my second hypothesis with family or friend support as significant buffers. Implications regarding Latinx first-generation undergraduates attending Hispanic Serving Institutions, limitations of the current study, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

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