Stressed but not Depressed: A Longitudinal Analysis of First-Generation College Students, Stress, and Depressive Symptoms

Using The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), I examine stress exposure and depressive symptoms among first and continuing-generation college students before and during college. I find that first-generation college students experience more stressors during both ad...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social forces 2021-09, Vol.100 (1), p.56-85
Main Author: Wilbur, Tabitha G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College students
Depression (Mood disorder)
Depression, Mental
EDUCATION
Psychological aspects
Social aspects
Social science research
Stress (Psychology)
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Summary:Using The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), I examine stress exposure and depressive symptoms among first and continuing-generation college students before and during college. I find that first-generation college students experience more stressors during both adolescence and college attendance and higher levels of depressive symptoms during adolescence as compared to continuing-generation students. During college, however, first-generation students’ level of depressive symptoms is no different from their continuing-generation peers even before adjusting for stress exposure and adolescent depressive symptoms. The gap in symptoms closes because first-generation college students’ mental health improves while attending college, as they have significantly fewer depressive symptoms than they did during adolescence. Continuing-generation students, on the other hand, did not display a significant difference in their depressive symptoms between adolescence and college attendance. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.
ISSN:0037-7732
1534-7605
DOI:10.1093/sf/soaa091