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Symposia

Technology/Digital Health

Understanding and Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Latine Community College Students

1 - (SYM 8) Examining the Perspectives of Latine Community College Students on Barriers and Facilitators to Initial Uptake in the STAND Program: A Qualitative Analysis

Friday, November 21, 2025
3:06 PM - 3:27 PM CST
Location: Celestin D&E, Level 3
Keywords: College Students, Mental Health Disparities, Evidence-Based Practice
Recommended Readings: Lipson, S. K., Phillips, M. V., Winquist, N., Eisenberg, D., & Lattie, E. G. (2021). Mental health conditions among community college students: A national study of prevalence and use of treatment services. Psychiatric services, 72(10), 1126-1133. http://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000437,   Kodish, T., Schueller, S. M., & Lau, A. S. (2023). Barriers and strategies to improve digital mental health intervention uptake among college students of color: A modified Delphi study. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, 33(1), 10-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbct.2022.12.002,   Wen, A., Wolitzky-Taylor, K., Gibbons, R. D., & Craske, M. (2023). A randomized controlled trial on using predictive algorithm to adapt level of psychological care for community college students: STAND triaging and adapting to level of care study protocol. Trials, 24(1), 508. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07441-7,   Lipson, S. K., Zhou, S., Abelson, S., Heinze, J., Jirsa, M., Morigney, J., Patterson, A., Singh, M., & Eisenberg, D. (2022). Trends in college student mental health and help-seeking by race/ethnicity: Findings from the national healthy minds study, 2013–2021. Journal of Affective Disorders, 306, 138-147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.038,  
Abstract Body

Research has documented that untreated mental health issues can have significant negative impacts on various life domains such as academic performance, social functioning, and substance use in college students. Community college (CC) students are at a higher risk for experiencing mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation and/or intent (Lipson et al., 2021). Although there are several empirically supported treatments for symptoms of anxiety and depression (e.g., CBT, DBT, ACT), CC students are less likely to access and receive mental health services as compared to four-year students (Goldrick-Rab et al., 2016). This problem is further amplified among CC students of color (Jackson et al., 2019). The present study aimed to examine the barriers and facilitators involved in initial uptake of the STAND digital mental health intervention (Wen et al., 2023) among students of color by using a qualitative approach.

 

Fifty-nine students [mage (SD) = 27.7 (8.4), n = 41 females, 48 Hispanic/Latine] were recruited from a public community college in California to participate in 14 focus groups (9 remotely and 5 in person) aimed at better understanding factors that facilitate or inhibit STAND initial uptake. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed for analysis. Rapid qualitative analysis methods (e.g., template summaries and matrix analyses) were used to analyze data.

 

Qualitative results revealed several barriers to STAND initial uptake such as stigma related to mental health, logistical barriers (e.g., time commitment), perceived need (e.g., motivation and readiness to receive mental health care), and tech-related barriers (e.g., internet connection problems). In terms of facilitators, qualitative results revealed that personalized level of care (e.g., tier assignment), monetary incentives, accessibility (e.g. free online service), and tech-related features (e.g., audio/video features) contributed to STAND initial uptake.

 

Findings from this qualitative study have important implications for the development of strategies and interventions to enhance STAND adherence, retention, and ultimately clinical outcomes among CC students of color.