UndocuCare: Strategies for mental health services that affirm undocumented college students’ psychological needs

Abstract

There are an estimated 427,000 undocumented college students enrolled in higher education. Undocumented college students encounter unique challenges associated with their precarious immigration status that impacts their psychological well‐being. In this article, we contextualize the mental health of undocumented college students and the role of college mental health services and professionals in supporting college students’ psychological well‐being. We end with recommendations and, in some cases, examples for campus mental health services, college counseling professionals, and counseling‐related preparation programs to develop policies and practices that affirm and support the mental health of undocumented college students.Practical Takeaways Undocumented college students face a higher education landscape that is riddled with discriminatory public policies and college environments that largely neglect their specific needs and fail to promote their success. Immigration policies shape the well‐being of immigrant students by way of immigration status. For instance, college students with precarious immigration status (lacking access to permanent legal protections) have been found to have lower psychosocial well‐being compared to groups with more secure or permanent statuses (i.e., naturalized citizens). College mental health services are paramount in developing strategies and efforts that affirm the specific psychological needs of undocumented college students. We provide recommendations for higher education institutions in three areas: campus mental health services, college counseling professionals (developing cultural competency for mental health services with undocumented students, engaging in structural changes to affirm undocumented students’ mental health, holding broader campus initiatives to advocate for immigrant rights), and counseling‐related preparation programs.