“I can't push off my own Mental Health”: Chilly STEM Climates, Mental Health, and STEM Persistence among Black, Latina, and White Graduate Women
“I can't push off my own Mental Health”: Chilly STEM Climates, Mental Health, and STEM Persistence among Black, Latina, and White Graduate Women
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DOI：
10.1007/s11199-021-01262-1
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发表时间：
2022-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.8
通讯作者：
Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel;A. Arnold;J. Bekki;Madison Natarajan;B. Bernstein;A. Randall
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Kerrie G. Wilkins-Yel;A. Arnold;J. Bekki;Madison Natarajan;B. Bernstein;A. Randall
利用12个半结构化的采访黑人，拉丁裔和白色研究生的女性继续或中止他们的STEM博士学位，本研究探讨了导航边缘化的经验，在白色男性主导的STEM环境的心理影响。研究人员使用基于社会建构主义范式的主题分析，确定了三个新兴主题：1）作为背景障碍的制度挑战，2）对福祉和STEM持续性的影响，以及3）背景支持和应对。这些研究结果表明，高等教育环境中具有挑战性的STEM遭遇导致来自不同种族/民族背景的STEM研究生女性的压力，抑郁，焦虑和自杀意念增加。这些STEM压力源及其随后的心理负担的复合效应导致参与者的STEM持续性下降。研究的影响强调教师和大学管理人员需要挑战和解决作为背景障碍的制度规范，消除围绕心理健康的讨论，并采取“全人”的方法来支持STEM领域的女研究生。
Drawing on 12 semi-structured interviews with Black, Latina, and white graduate women who either continued or discontinued their STEM doctoral degrees, the present study examined the psychological impact of navigating marginalizing experiences in white male-dominated STEM environments. Using thematic analysis grounded in a social constructivist paradigm, researchers identified three emergent themes: 1) institutional challenges as contextual barriers, 2) impact on wellbeing and STEM persistence, and 3) contextual supports and coping. These findings indicate that challenging STEM encounters within the higher education environment contributed to increased stress, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation among graduate women in STEM from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. The compound effect of these STEM stressors and their subsequent psychological toll contributed to decreased STEM persistence among participants. Study implications highlight the need for faculty and university administrators to challenge and address institutional norms that operate as contextual barriers, destigmatize discussions surrounding mental health, and adopt a “whole person” approach to supporting graduate women in STEM.