Keywords
Socioeconomic Status (SES); Mental Health; Anxiety; Depression; College population; Campus mental health services
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a social determinant of mental health that may influence the prevalence of anxiety and depression in undergraduate and graduate students. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often encounter financial, academic, and social stressors, which may contribute to poorer mental health outcomes. This study investigates the association between SES-related factors and symptoms of anxiety and depression in undergraduate and graduate students. Data were collected from a large national survey of students in various degree programs and included measures of financial circumstances, food and housing insecurity, access to mental health services, and other demographic variables. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scales. Statistical analyses comprised descriptive statistics, correlation tests, analysis of variance to examine differences in mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores across socioeconomic and demographic subgroups, and linear regression models to evaluate the relationship between SES indicators and mental health outcomes. The results aim to provide insight into the relationship between socioeconomic factors and mental health symptoms among students.
Thesis Completion Year
2026
Thesis Completion Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair
Reiss, Jacquelyn
College
College of Sciences
Department
Sociology
Thesis Discipline
Medical Sociology
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Length of Campus Access
None
Campus Location
Orlando (Main) Campus
STARS Citation
Selvakumar, Shreyaashri, "Socioeconomic Stressors And Their Association With Anxiety And Depression In Undergraduate And Graduate Students" (2026). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 647.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/hut2024/647
Included in
Medicine and Health Commons, Psychiatric and Mental Health Commons, Quantitative, Qualitative, Comparative, and Historical Methodologies Commons
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