Variability in undergraduate academic stress: the role of ethnicity, early adverse family experiences, and psychological distress

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Current Psychology

DOI

10.1007/s12144-025-07955-0

Abstract

Early adverse family experiences (e.g., abuse, neglect, and family conflict) can create vulnerabilities that can alter the association between psychological distress and academic stress, particularly for some ethnic groups. This study examined whether the link between psychological distress and academic stress varies in the presence of early adverse family experiences across ethnic groups. Participants (N = 284, 38.4% male, 59.5% female, 1% non-binary, and 0.7% transgender, 56.5% European American, 15.6% African American, 12.6% Hispanic and Latino, 8.5% Asian, 6.8% Mixed/Biracial) self-reported psychological distress, early adverse family experiences, and perception of academic stress. Regression analyses revealed a three-way interaction between adverse family experiences, ethnicity, and psychological distress significantly accounting for academic stress. Simple slope analyses indicated that academic stress increased with psychological distress, only for African Americans with adverse family experiences. The relation between psychological distress and academic stress is complex, likely varying with both ethnicity and adverse family experiences. These results highlight how early-life African American family-level factors can buffer against academic stress during emerging adulthood, potentially enhancing long-term outcomes related to education and achievement. Future work developing culturally informed interventions for reframing psychological distress or adverse life experiences could have dramatic impacts at this key developmental stage.

Keywords

Academic stress, Adverse family experiences, Ethnicity, Psychological distress, Undergraduate students

Department

Psychology

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