Date of Award

8-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Child Development

Department

Child Development

First Reader/Committee Chair

Morris, Stacy

Abstract

Entering college brings independence; however, it also presents new challenges. Navigating young adulthood, with academic/social pressures, makes the first-year increasingly difficult (Alessi et al., 2017). LGBTQ+ students are at heightened risk of negative mental health outcomes (e.g., increased depression/anxiety levels; Alessi et al., 2017; Thacker Darrow et al., 2022). For LGBTQ+ students, the first-year of college poses additional issues, such as discrimination or lack of belonging (Thacker Darrow et al., 2022; Hood et al., 2018). Overall, there is little research of this population, and less is known about specifically the first-year. It is important to understand those experiences, so that universities can better support these students (Hood et al., 2018).The present study is an exploratory qualitative study, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Interviews focused on mental health, belongingness, and campus resource quality to understand LGBTQ+ first-year college students' experiences and identify ways to better support them through this transition. Minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003), which highlights discrimination and prejudice as additional stressors for LGBTQ+ first-years, was used as a theoretical framework to guide interview development. The Listening Guide, as developed by Gilligan et al. (2003), primarily guided data analysis; this method is particularly useful for centering the voices of marginalized communities, such as LGBTQ+ students, and uplifting their stories and experiences, as told in their own words. This study aimed to explore the first-year experiences of LGBTQ+ college students, assess the effectiveness of campus resources, and identify any improvements to further enhance their college experience. Five LGBTQ+ students were recruited to reflect on their first-years at a Southern California university. Results of the study highlighted participants’ difficulty with their transitions to the first-year. Participants shared their experiences with mental health challenges, while also navigating academics, struggling with identity concealment, family expectations, and more that negatively impacted their first-years. Positive adjustment to the first-year was commonly associated with finding peer support and belongingness on campus. In terms of campus resources, participants were satisfied, overall, with what was available, but also shared feedback that could inform practice on campus to better support LGBTQ+ students’ adjustment to college. Suggestions for future research are shared as well, such as utilizing a quantitative approach to reach a larger sample size. Topics to explore include the role of third places in LGBTQ+ belongingness on campus (a concept mentioned by participants) and within-group differences of the LGBTQ+ community.

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