Asian Americans are estimated to have a 17.3% overall lifetime rate and a 9.19% annual rate of having any psychiatric disorder, yet Asian Americans rank within the smallest percentage of populations accessing mental health care (Takeuchi et al., 2007). The proposed study analyzed themes related to coping and mental health in the ongoing context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data analyzed was collected using a transcendental phenomenological approach wherein 15 Asian American adults between ages 18 to 30 participated in in-depth interviews about their experiences of behavioral and mental stressors related to the pandemic. The current study focuses on participants’ suggestions to addressing the described mental health crisis associated with discrimination throughout the pandemic and supporting the Asian American community. Findings indicate that Asian Americans not only need mental health providers that are conscious of their culture, but also discussed themes regarding community support, cultural sensitivity, familial integration, and reducing familial stigma related to discussing issues of mental health. Additionally, participants emphasized the importance of bridging the language gap and acknowledging possible generational differences. Results suggest that perceived barriers to accessing care are not only systemic but internal to the community. Participant-directed suggestions for increasing involvement with mental health supports are discussed.

The Latinx community encompasses many culturally distinct groups who experience distress differently. This study will examine the distress levels of Latinx subgroups before and during the pandemic. It will run a two-way ANOVA statistical analysis on an existing database to investigate changes in distress levels during the specified timeframes. It is hypothesized that data will suggest an increase in the community’s distress levels, an increase in subgroups' distress levels from usual levels, and higher distress levels for subgroups with a historically stronger cultural presence in New York as well as for subgroups facing pointed discrimination despite having a historically strong cultural presence.

According to Stewart et al. (2008), African American students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs), often experience feelings of isolation within their campus environment. The lack of African American faculty and staff along with the lack of support experienced by African American students at PWIs may contribute to lower academic performance and may have a negative impact on the mental health of African American students. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the experiences of African American students attending a PWI may impact their mental health and academic performance. The study also investigates African American students’ opinions regarding how PWIs can decrease or alleviate their feelings of isolation, what these students observe as a lack of support, how this lack of support affects their mental health and academic performance, and what types of support they are seeking. To ascertain this information, a survey was created and sent to African American student organizations at Purdue University Northwest, located in Hammond, Indiana, via the organizations’ email addresses and GroupMe app. It is hoped that results from the study will shed light on the challenges that African American students confront at Purdue University Northwest and that this information can be used to discuss and initiate changes to the campus environment. Furthermore, it is hoped that the knowledge gained can help enlighten administrators and students at other similar PWIs to create awareness of the issues and increase the support of African American students with similar struggles.