“The University Always Screams Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and to Me, They Don’t Put Effort to Show That”: Navigating Mental Health as a Black, Indigenous, and Student of Color at a Predominately White Institution

Black, Indigenous, and Students of Color (BISOC) at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) are particularly susceptible to psychological distress due to the stressors stemming from experiences of racism and discrimination, often within a White supremacist university culture. Yet, BISOC are less likely to seek treatment than White students. To understand these challenges within a PWI context, we explored the questions: (1) What mental health resources do BISOC access? (2) What are the facilitators and barriers to mental health resource utilization? (3) What recommendations do BISOC have to improve mental health support? Focus groups (two graduate, two undergraduate) and one follow-up interview were conducted with 27 BISOC at the University of Florida from Fall 2021 to Spring 2023. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed overarching themes related to resource utilization, motivators and barriers to use, and recommendations for support. Resources used included the university counseling center, department/college-specific counselor support, mental health clubs, and peers. Motivators for using these resources included experiencing representation with a therapist, accessibility (e.g., telehealth), and destigmatizing mental health (e.g., allow mental health days, professors openly discuss it). Barriers included financial challenges, long waitlists, lack of individualized care at university counseling centers, and experiencing White supremacist university culture. To improve support, participants recommended increasing accessibility and outreach, offering individualized and tailored care, and demonstrating a culture of respect for diversity. We provided prevention, policy, and action-oriented recommendations for university employees and systems.