Embarking on a journey through the nuanced terrain of women navigating college sans a support system, this research aims to uncover the intricacies of their mental well-being. With a keen eye on campus culture and the elusive sense of belonging, the study dives into stress-coping mechanisms, cultural influences, and familial dynamics. Two scholarly articles, House et al. (2020) and Amirkhan et al. (2022) highlight mental health struggles that emphasize the significant roles of support networks and campus culture in determining experiences. As a Health and Wellness Specialist, the prism looks at identity formation and support mechanisms that perfectly coincide with health promotion. The proposal suggests a systematic literature review as the project model and discusses opportunities for a practitioner-based handbook approach that can address the academic-practical gap. This endeavor aims to untangle the intricacies, providing insights and practical approaches for cultivating BIPOC first-generation students’ well-being in a college environment.
My primary focus is to explore how women deal with college life without a support system, especially regarding mental health. In this study, I am interested in peeling away the layers of their perceptions surrounding campus culture and determining how deep their feelings of belonging run. The inquiry aims to highlight the coping mechanisms these women use and shed light on their resilience and adaptive tactics. Moreover, I strive to understand the influence of cultural and family background on their college life, recognizing that such factors play a crucial role in framing their academic pathway and self. This multidimensional analysis is designed to provide a richer and more detailed understanding of the difficulties experienced by women in such situations while also informing focus interventions that promote their college life.
The research conducted by Amirkhan et al. (2022) offers much information regarding the mental health issues facing first-generation college students. Their research findings bring support networks to the forefront and highlight that lack thereof can increase stress levels among these students. Importantly, for my topic of interest, Amirkhan et al. emphasize the importance of familial support, which correlates with cultural and family influence within my research question. Awareness of family dynamics’ role in influencing first-generation students’ well-being is essential in understanding how coping strategies are formulated without traditional support structures.
In addition, the work by House et al. (2020) broadens it to include culture as a factor that affects belongingness, in particular among minority students. Their conclusions stress the psychological implications of lacking support systems, providing essential information about how cultural issues affect self-perception. This reinforces the work of House et al., supporting further research into how women can navigate campus culture without a robust support system. To summarize, these sources provide a subtle account of the psychological effects that familial and campus-related variables have on women without sufficient support in college life.
As a Health and Wellness specialist, my research about the mental health of women going through college without any support system precisely aligns with what I do as part of my specialization. The research investigates stress and coping mechanisms, questioning how the lack of a support system causes mental health issues. In addition, the study also covers vital aspects, including identity formation, network of support systems, and cultural as well as family factors, which play a vital role in determining health status. Through the analysis of these multidimensional factors, the study adds to a broader understanding of women’s challenges within this context and prepares grounds for specific interventions. The aim is to improve the mental health of BIPOC first-generation students, matching perfectly with my specialization’s overall goal of promoting holistic and healthy well-being among diverse groups in the college setting.
The selected project model, a systematic literature review, is highly appropriate for the extensive investigation of mental health issues that women have to face when going through college without any support. This approach encompasses a systematic and organized analysis of current peer-reviewed literature, enabling the integration of various outcomes and constructing an intricate picture of factors affecting their mental health. This model allows for critical evaluation, which facilitates the detection of shortcomings in current literature, thereby providing a basis from which to pursue informed research paths. The systematic literature review significantly enables evidence-based intervention formulation, providing information for a practitioner to improve support structures and intervention. This methodology guarantees that the study is not only a contribution to academic knowledge but also directly informs strategies aimed at meeting the mental health needs of women in similar situations, which emphasizes an applied and practical orientation characteristic for the Applied Doctoral Project (ADP).
The suggested practitioner-based handbook creation approach is auspicious for the ADP since it connects research results with practice. Integrating findings from a systematic literature review, the handbook becomes an all-inclusive manual for college administrators and support services. It is a practical guide that provides implementable strategies to enhance the currently available support systems. Significantly, the handbook focuses on the issues facing women left alone in college, drawing attention to their situation.
Alternatively, the subject matter of this document could be broadened to include raising administrators’ awareness regarding mental health issues associated with that demographic to foster empathy and informed decisions. In addition, the handbook may offer practical advice on developing a more welcoming campus environment that acknowledges and accommodates BIPOC first-generation students’ needs. This practitioner-oriented Approach fits neatly with the ADP’s aim of converting research into actionable interventions. This handbook has a realizable outcome that institutions would readily embrace, creating an environment that promotes the well-being of women undergoing these challenges, hence making gender equity and collegiate experience more inclusive.
In conclusion, by weaving the strings of women going through college without a safety net, this research reveals a complex dance between mental health, campus culture, and a sense of belonging. Based on the findings of House et al. (2020) and Amirkhan et al. (2022), this study reveals that support networks and cultural influences are significant factors in a working environment. As a Health and Wellness professional, the study of coping skills and identity formation reflects what holistic health implies. Starting with the proposal of a systematic literature review and handbook as a practitioner-based Approach, this journey is from research to implementation. The imagined handbook does not appear as a mere guide; instead, it is the light that leads to establishing an inclusive campus culture. This exploration of the intricacies of women’s lives ultimately aims to create a supportive environment, constructing a narrative for BIPOC first-generation students and their mental health in higher ed.
Amirkhan, J. H., Manalo Jr, R., & Velasco, S. E. (2022). Stress overload in first-generation college students: Implications for intervention. Psychological Services. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/ser0000650
House, L. A., Neal, C., & Kolb, J. (2020). Supporting the mental health needs of first-generation college students. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 34(2), 157-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2019.1578940