Striking Finding #7
7
UCSC Survey Reveals Alarming Connection between Housing Crisis and Student Mental Health
With a growing prevalence of housing insecurity in colleges nationwide, UCSC exhibits one of the highest rates of homelessness within the UC system (Martinez et al., 2021). To examine the link between housing insecurity and students’ mental health, a survey was administered to 186 students at UCSC to investigate how the housing crisis is associated with college student’s mental health.
The survey findings revealed a moderate association, indicating that an increase in housing insecurity is correlated with an increase in students' levels of anxiety and depression. These findings demonstrate the imperative for more institutional support in providing affordable and accessible housing for students to promote students’ mental health.
Student Researchers
Adame, M., Alvarado, N., Bazel, L., Campbell, K., Carlos, E., Decena, N., Morris, C., Diaz, K., Gladfelter, K., Hart, R., Herbert, E., Hernandez, G., Huynh, A., Jeffery, C., Lubeck, L., Maranon-Davis, M., Mendala, A., Mittelstedt, A., Roudabush, C., Samavedam, K., Sanchez Padilla, C., Wood-Freidin, J., & Flores, D.
Relevant References
Echeverria, D., (June 2023). This California county now tops S.F. as the most expensive place for renters in the U.S., report says. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/most-expensive-rent-california-18167616.php
Hjorth, C. F., Bilgrav, L., Frandsen, L. S., Overgaard, C., Torp-Pedersen, C., Nielsen, B., & Bøggild, H. (2016). Mental health and school dropout across educational levels and genders: a 4.8-year follow-up study. BMC public health, 16(1), 1-12.
Martinez, S. M., Esaryk, E. E., Moffat, L., & Ritchie, L. (2021). Redefining basic needs for higher education: It’s more than minimal food and housing according to California University Students. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(6), 818–834. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117121992295
Slimmen, S., Timmermans, O., Mikolajczak-Degrauwe, K., & Oenema, A. (2022). How stress-related factors affect mental wellbeing of university students: A cross sectional study to explore the associations between stressors, perceived stress, and mental wellbeing. PLOS ONE, 17(11). doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0275925