Diversity as a Barrier to Group Psychotherapy in College

Introduction

According to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, the psychopathology of college students and their demand for counseling services in university counseling centers (UCCs) has risen substantially over the last decade (Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2014). There are a number of reasons why this is so. The most significant of these is perhaps that the modern-day college student faces significant psychological concerns in the form of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and a history of hospitalization resulting from lifestyle factors. It is reported, for instance, that between 15 and 20% of college students today suffer from depressive symptoms, compared to between 5 and 6% ten years ago (Center for Collegiate Mental Health, 2014).

For this reason, most UCCs have adopted and expanded the use of group psychotherapy platforms as an alternative to traditional individual psychotherapy in a bid to address rising demand. Peters (2015) was able to show that, in addition to addressing the issue of increasing demand, group psychotherapy platforms accord student-patients an opportunity to receive reinforcement from peers on how to form their adult identities. Worryingly, however, research has shown that these group psychotherapy programs have yet to realize the level of effectiveness inherent in traditional counseling platforms. This is partly because the barriers that deter students from accessing them have yet to be adequately addressed. This paper explores the role of diversity as a potential barrier to group psychotherapy and proposes ways of minimizing its effect and improving overall health outcomes.

The Problem of Diversity in University Counseling Centers

UCCs are expanding their use of group psychotherapy in counseling owing to its effectiveness in increasing access and providing developmental opportunities to student-patients. However, Lee (2014) and Peters (2015) were able to show that ethnic and racial minorities are less likely than their majority counterparts to attend such groups when referred by their physicians. This is particularly concerning given the unprecedented demographic transformation currently underway in the United States. The U.S. Department of Education (2013), for instance, showed that the percentage of ethnic and racial minority college students aged 25 and above had risen substantially over the last decade, while that of their white counterparts had declined by approximately 23%. Despite these shifting demographics, group work in clinical settings still continues to borrow heavily from attachment and psychodynamic theory, whose development was based primarily on white Americans — meaning that things in such group settings continue to be done the "white" way, even as demographic dynamics change.

Most often, these group psychotherapy platforms fail to account for the fact that different demographic groups hold different expectations and cultural values, which shape their worldviews in distinct ways. Separate studies by Harris (2012), Peters (2015), and Suri (2015) were able to show that most minority students either opt out of or fail to participate at all in group psychotherapy because they feel that the group activities do not address their specific cultural needs. It is important, therefore, that professionals in UCCs adequately understand the role of culture in shaping college students' expectations and attitudes about group psychotherapy. Only then will they be able to respond effectively to the specific needs of their diverse student base in group therapeutic sessions.

Significance

This paper highlights the multicultural issues that shape college students' attitudes toward group psychotherapy, with the aim of providing insight to UCCs and Student Affairs professionals on how to attract and retain minority students in such programs. The facts and findings presented here inform clinical practice by increasing effectiveness as a professional in a multicultural setting and enabling a more adequate response to the needs of diverse patients. More broadly, the findings stand to make group psychotherapy sessions in UCCs more inclusive and favorable for minorities, thereby increasing accessibility to mental health care and improving overall health outcomes for the community.

References

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