Mental health in African-American students. Psychology Thesis Writing (Thesis Sample)

Review of Relevant Literature
Impact of mental health on African American college students
Poor mental health is one of the biggest causes of stress in African American college students (Prelow et al, 2006). High stress rates have been linked to poor academic retention rates in Black college students, which is one of the key factors for achieving success and resilience in studying, The impact of stress was discussed by Utsey et al, (2009) who argued that the cause of higher stress rates in Black students who studied in predominantly White colleges, was the feeling of vulnerability and distress due to feeling like one’s culture and value are at risk. This is supported by Kitzrow (2009) who argued that the of inferiority complex in Black students forces them to perceive into the majority culture, which prevents them from showing their authentic self. This suppression then leads to feelings associated with poor mental health, predominantly depression, decreased self-esteem, increased stress, alienation from peers, social withdrawal, which has been strongly linked to academic difficulties (Outlaw, 1993). Over time, feelings of alienation and withdrawal can lead to decreased motivation and can affect one’s health over time (Outlaw, 1993).