Perceiving Others Having Less Challenges: Mental Health Bias and Students’ Sense of and Access to Community

Presenter(s)

Sarah Borgen

Abstract or Description

Research has identified mental health challenges as a strong predictor of student retention (Bruffaerts et al., 2018). Building on this work, the present study examined not only students’ self-reported mental health challenges, but also the difference between students’ self-reports and their estimations of the number of mental health challenges experienced by their peer students. This discrepancy was calculated by subtracting students’ self-reported mental health challenges from their estimates of peers’ mental health challenges, producing a measure of perceived bias in which students viewed themselves as having more, the same, or fewer mental health challenges than others. A consistent self-over-fellow student bias was observed, with students generally rating themselves as experiencing more mental health challenges than their peers. Students who did not exhibit this bias reported a stronger sense of community at the university. No differences in bias were found across gender or year in school; however, significant differences emerged based on how students took courses on campus and their distance from campus. Students enrolled in online courses or living more than 10 miles from campus were more likely to report a higher level of mental health challenges than their peers. These findings suggest that this self-over-fellow student bias might be indicative of students who are more distant and isolated at the University.  

Mentor

Dr. Travis Ricks