UC San Diego

Rationale: Prevalence of mental health challenges (MHC) in graduate students has increased, which may impair academic performance (AP). Graduate students from racially minoritized groups are a growing demographic who may be faced with greater MHC than those from majority groups. This study examined (1) differences in MHC, discrimination, and AP by minoritized status and sex; (2) interplay of MHC, discrimination, and AP, and (3) roles of resilience, advisor contact, social support in buffering relationships.

Methods: Archival data from the Healthy Minds Study 2018-2019 annual survey included self-reported depression severity (PHQ-9), anxiety severity (GAD-7), suicidal ideation (yes/no in past year, SI), mental health burden (diagnoses of depression, anxiety, both), frequency of discrimination (past year), and AP (GPA of A or below A). Analyses included 5,820 graduate students (mean(SE) age = 28(8.2) years, 72% female, and 61% in master’s program), categorized into non-Latino White (n=4032) and minoritized (n=1,788) groups, and used generalized linear mixed models.

Results: Minoritized graduate students experienced higher levels of discrimination (F(1574)=13.9, p<.001) and were more often in the lower AP category compared to majority groups (F(5320)=33.3, p<.001); no significant racial/ethnic differences for any MHC were observed (p’s>.05). Women reported higher anxiety (F(3909)=41.9, p=<.001), more anxiety diagnoses (t(1634)=2.84, p=.004), were more likely to experience discrimination once in a while (F(1639)=11.8, p<.001), and had better AP compared to males (F(5320)=15.9, p<.001). Non-Latino White men were most likely to report SI (F(5159)=12.04, p<.001). Moderate levels of discrimination were associated with higher MHCs (p’s <.05). Moderate levels of any MHC were associated with lower AP (all p’s <.005). Race, sex, advisor contact, or social support (all p’s >.05) did not significantly moderate relationships of MHC with AP or discrimination; resilience buffered relationships of some MHC to discrimination.

Conclusions: Replicating previous findings, women were more likely than men to report anxiety symptoms and diagnoses and graduate students with MHC experienced higher levels of discrimination and less-than-perfect AP. While minoritized graduate students do not seem differentially at risk for MHC and show similar inter-relationships between MHC and both AP and discrimination, resilience interventions might lessen impacts of discrimination on mental health in all students.