Unmasking The Doubt: The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Mental Health and Imposter Syndrome in College Students

Student: Yareli Gonzalez Calderon

Faculty Mentor: WenWen Ni

Psychology

College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts

My research objective is focused on college students’ mental health, specifically the relationship between mental health and low-SES college students, and how low-SES college students can develop imposter syndrome and therefore disproportionately encounter mental health barriers in comparison to students from higher-SES backgrounds. This research is based on studies that have demonstrated the different experiences low-SES college students go through compared to college students from higher-SES backgrounds. Because of these different experiences, low-SES college students are more at risk of experiencing mental health issues and feeling “out of place” at college, which can affect their schoolwork and self-esteem.