(PS7-C74) Institutional Sense of Belonging Among First Year College Students: Differences Among Minoritized Students and Impacts on Internalizing Symptoms and Academic Outcomes

Introduction. Sense of belonging is essential for college students’ emotional well-being. Systemic racism, classism, and homophobia permeate US higher education, contributing to minoritized students’ lower sense of belonging. The present study utilizes a dataset of college students to: (1) evaluate whether sense of belonging is lower amongst students who hold a minoritized identity (students of color, LGBTQ+, first-generation college, and low subjective social status); (2) analyze the relationship between sense of belonging and internalizing symptoms and academic outcomes; and (3) assess whether perceived social support moderates the relationship between low sense of belonging and negative outcomes.

Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of survey data from 7 universities collected during the 2020-2021 school year. Participants (n = 1808) were first-year undergraduates who were 61.4% White, 13.0% Asian, 12.5% Latinx, 6.6% Black, and 2.3% multi-racial. Thirty percent of participants identified as being a first-generation college student and 14.9% identified as a sexual and/or gender minority. Students completed demographics, a sense of belonging scale (including items such as “I feel valued at this institution”), the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, the Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (school impairment sub-scale), and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List.

Results. Paired independent sample t-tests revealed that sense of belonging scores were significantly lower for first-generation college students compared to non-first-generation students, t(1806) = 3.13, p < .001; for sexual and/or gender minority students compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, t(1806) = 4.12, p < .001; and for BIPOC students compared to White students, t(1800) = 7.68, p < .001. Additionally, students who perceived themselves as falling lower on the social class ladder tended to also report lower sense of belonging on campus, r(1807) = .178, p < .001.

Regression analyses revealed that lower sense of belonging significantly predicted internalizing symptoms (b= .646, p < .001) and academic impairment (b= .196, p < .001). Moderation analyses revealed that social support did not significantly moderate the observed relationships sense of belonging and internalizing symptoms (conditional effect=-.009, 95% CI -.03, -.01, p=.35) nor between sense of belonging and academic impairment (conditional effect=-.003, 95% CI -.01, .01, p=.51).

Discussion. Findings confirm that college students who hold at least one minoritized identity report lower sense of belonging at their academic institutions which, in turn, puts students at elevated risk for internalizing symptoms and academic impairment. Results suggest that increasing underrepresented students’ sense of belonging may be a critical avenue to addressing their mental health challenges and academic difficulties. Future qualitative research is needed to identify factors contributing to students’ sense of belonging. Ultimately, we hope to disseminate findings to key stakeholders to inform development of institutional level interventions that promote sense of belonging amongst diverse students.