4 - (SYM 32) Impacts of a Help-seeking Intervention on the Mental Health of BIPOC College Students with Multiply Marginalized Identities

Social support during college can foster a sense of belonging and psychological safety that, in turn, encourages college persistence and success (Awang et al., 2014).Unfortunately, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)students are less likely to seek help and access support due, in part, to discrimination and fear of stigma (Wang et al., 2019; Winograd & Rust, 2014). BIPOC with multiply marginalized identities, such as BIPOC women (Harris, 2020) and BIPOC FGCS (Parnes et al., 2020) face additional barriers to accessing support and, as a result, disproportionate mental health burden(Worthen et al. 2021). This study aims to explore the longitudinal impacts of a help-seeking intervention (Connected Scholars) on BIPOC student mental health, considering differences for students with multiply marginalized identities. Data were collected from 329 BIPOC undergraduates attending a Northeast university designated as a Minority Serving Institution. More than half identified as women (57.7%), with a mean age of 22.08 (SD = 5.67). The majority were FGCS (52.9%). Students were randomized to Connected Scholars or waitlist control. Students completed the Brief-Symptoms Inventory-18 (Derogatis, 2001) to assess depression, anxiety, and stress at three time points (baseline, end of the semester the intervention was conducted, end of the following semester). Longitudinal modeling using a multivariate approach explored intervention effects on BIPOC student mental health, and gender and FGCS status as moderators of associations. BIPOC women in Connected Scholars reported less anxiety over time (B = -0.25, p = .039) compared to BIPOC men, while BIPOC FGCS in Connected Scholars reported higher stress over time (B = 0.21, p = .045) compared to BIPOC continuing generation students. Findings offer insight into strengths and limitations of a brief help-seeking intervention for the mental health ofBIPOC college students with multiply marginalized identities.BIPOC FGCS may experience additional systemic barriers in college, highlighting a need for broader systems change. Implications for research and practice will be discussed.