The impact of values congruity on underrepresented minority (URM) graduate student psychosocial functioning

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is growing awareness of a mental health ‘crisis’ among graduate students [Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282–284. doi:10.1038/nbt.4089]. Despite a paucity of research exploring potential differences in psychological distress across ethnic and racial groups, there is at least some evidence that students who identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, underrepresented minority students (URM), report more depressive symptoms [e.g., Harvard Chan Mental Health Student Alliance. (2017). Mental wellness of students at Harvard Chan. Retrieved from https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1745/2017/05/MHSA-Needs-Assessment-Report-2017.pdf] and a lower sense of belongingness in graduate school [e.g., Clark, C. R., Mercer, S. H., Zeigler-Hill, V., & Dufrene, B. A. (2012). Barriers to the success of ethnic minority students in school psychology graduate programs. School Psychology Review, 41(2), 176–192. doi:10.1080/02796015.2012.12087519] compared to their racial and ethnic majority peers. We explored whether URM students’ opportunities to engage in doctoral work consistent with intrinsic, altruistic or extrinsic career values, and congruity between values importance and affordances would contribute to psychosocial well-being, belongingness, and program satisfaction. URM doctoral students (n = 436) completed an anonymous online survey including the Values Congruity Questionnaire (VC), Campus Connectedness Scale (CCS), and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21). Opportunities to engage in doctoral work consistent with altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic values were associated with lower depression and a higher sense of belongingness. Incongruity between the importance of altruistic values and perceived affordances was associated with higher depression and a lower sense of program belongingness and satisfaction. Although URM psychological functioning is determined by multiple factors, providing values consistent opportunities within graduate programs could increase belongingness, program satisfaction and psychosocial wellness.