Date of Award

8-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Clinical Adolescent Psychology

Abstract

Student activism has historically contributed to sociopolitical change, with college campuses serving as important contexts for civic engagement and identity development (Ballard et al., 2024; Cabrera et al., 2017; Conner, 2020). At Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), activism is often connected to students lived experiences and efforts to challenge systemic inequities (Byon et al., 2022; Patterson, 2021). Although activism may promote empowerment and collective identity, sustained advocacy may also contribute to psychological distress, including anxiety and depression, particularly among students of color (Chen et al., 2024; Hope et al., 2018). However, limited research has examined culturally relevant protective factors that may influence the relationship between activism and psychological distress among HBCU students.

The primary objective of this study was to examine whether perceived social support from family, friends, and significant others served as a moderator of the association between activism and psychological distress. Participants included 314 students recruited from an HBCU psychology research pool. Participants completed measures assessing activism, perceived social support, anxiety, depression, everyday discrimination, and demographic characteristics. Multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted using SPSS.

Results indicated that greater activism involvement was associated with higher anxiety (p < .001) and depressive symptoms (p < .001). Among the three sources of perceived social support, only family support was associated with lower anxiety (p = .003) and depressive symptoms (p < .001). No evidence was found that perceived social support moderated the association between activism and psychological distress (all ps = .112–.703). Findings suggest that activism may be associated with increased psychological distress among HBCU students, while family support may serve as an important protective factor. These findings contribute to the limited literature examining activism, mental health, and culturally relevant sources of support within HBCU settings and underscore the need for supportive resources that foster student well-being.

Keywords: student activism, social support, mental health, HBCUs, psychological distress

Committee Chair/Advisor

Temilola Salami

Committee Member

Bridgett Tate

Committee Member

Anne Lippert

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

© 2021 Prairie View A & M University

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Date of Digitization

9/23/2026

Contributing Institution

J B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

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