First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study

First-generation college students in United States postsecondary education institutions is a growing population. Scholars have shown areas of increased distress amongst first-generation college students and a concordant lower likelihood of using psychological services on campuses. These differences...

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Main Authors: Theodore T. Bartholomew, Candace Tsai, Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui, Alondra Alvarez Murillo, Angela Molina, Alejandro Morales
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Mental Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/28324765.2025.2449856
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author Theodore T. Bartholomew
Candace Tsai
Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui
Alondra Alvarez Murillo
Angela Molina
Alejandro Morales
author_facet Theodore T. Bartholomew
Candace Tsai
Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui
Alondra Alvarez Murillo
Angela Molina
Alejandro Morales
author_sort Theodore T. Bartholomew
collection DOAJ
description First-generation college students in United States postsecondary education institutions is a growing population. Scholars have shown areas of increased distress amongst first-generation college students and a concordant lower likelihood of using psychological services on campuses. These differences are contextualized in barriers that first-generation college students endure: a lack of familiarity with educational institutions, hindered belongingness, financial difficulties, and others. Missing in the literature, however, is more attention to why first-generation college students may underutilize services compared to continuing-generation college students. One such reason may revolve around hope for counseling. We collected data about attitudes towards help-seeking, stigmatization of help-seeking, hope for counseling, and psychological stress from 518 (312 first- generation college students) participants from two higher education contexts. Results showed no significant difference in hope for counseling, stigma of help-seeking, or attitudes about help-seeking between first- and continuing-generation college students; however, first-generation college students did report less current counseling service utilization. Findings are discussed regarding support for first-generation college students.
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series Cogent Mental Health
spelling doaj-art-444be22217c443b4b1f9870fc555b9652025-01-07T11:19:18ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Mental Health2832-47652025-12-014111910.1080/28324765.2025.2449856First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative studyTheodore T. Bartholomew0Candace Tsai1Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui2Alondra Alvarez Murillo3Angela Molina4Alejandro Morales5Department of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, USADepartment of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, USAKinesiology & Health Promotion Department, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, USADepartment of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, USADepartment of Psychology, Scripps College, Claremont, CA, USADepartment of Psychology, California Polytechnic University, Pomona, USAFirst-generation college students in United States postsecondary education institutions is a growing population. Scholars have shown areas of increased distress amongst first-generation college students and a concordant lower likelihood of using psychological services on campuses. These differences are contextualized in barriers that first-generation college students endure: a lack of familiarity with educational institutions, hindered belongingness, financial difficulties, and others. Missing in the literature, however, is more attention to why first-generation college students may underutilize services compared to continuing-generation college students. One such reason may revolve around hope for counseling. We collected data about attitudes towards help-seeking, stigmatization of help-seeking, hope for counseling, and psychological stress from 518 (312 first- generation college students) participants from two higher education contexts. Results showed no significant difference in hope for counseling, stigma of help-seeking, or attitudes about help-seeking between first- and continuing-generation college students; however, first-generation college students did report less current counseling service utilization. Findings are discussed regarding support for first-generation college students.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/28324765.2025.2449856First-generation college studentshope for counselinghelp-seeking
spellingShingle Theodore T. Bartholomew
Candace Tsai
Lizbeth Valdivia-Jauregui
Alondra Alvarez Murillo
Angela Molina
Alejandro Morales
First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
Cogent Mental Health
First-generation college students
hope for counseling
help-seeking
title First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
title_full First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
title_fullStr First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
title_full_unstemmed First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
title_short First-generation college students’ hope for change through counseling: a comparative study
title_sort first generation college students hope for change through counseling a comparative study
topic First-generation college students
hope for counseling
help-seeking
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/28324765.2025.2449856
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