The UndocuBasic Needs Project (UBNP) recently published a research brief focused on the set of mental health challenges and stressors that undocumented college students, and those in mixed-status families, often contend with. The UBNP seeks to better understand immigrant college students’ basic needs, and the experiences of school personnel working to support them. The brief is based on 106 in-depth interviews with students of diverse legal status. This includes undocumented students and those with access to some type of legal protection (e.g., Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Temporary Protected Status, U.S. citizenship) and whose parent(s) are undocumented.
The brief demonstrates how students from undocumented and mixed-status families often struggle with anxiety, depression, and various stressors. More specifically, “approximately 47% of students from [the] sample recalled experiencing some form of anxiety, while 96.2% noted feeling stressed, and 39% struggled with depression or general feelings of sadness” (p. 5).
This brief concludes with a set of recommendations for institutions of higher education to better support students. It also includes links to resources. To learn more about these findings, visit the project website and research brief.
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