Social Disconnection Mediates the Association Between Undergraduates’ Experiences of Discrimination and Sleep Problems

Authors: Anita Licata, Jack Peltz, Nesrine Ramadan

SUNY Campus: SUNY Brockport

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: UU 111

Presentation #: 69

Timeslot: Session D 3:00-4:00 PM

Abstract: Research suggests that undergraduates’ experiences of discrimination are associated with chronic stress, worse mental/physical health, and sleep problems (Fuller-Rowell et al., 2021; Ong & Williams, 2019). The current study examined how experiencing discrimination and feelings of disconnection among undergraduates at a predominantly White institution negatively affects their functioning. Accordingly, students completed an online survey that assessed their experiences of discrimination, their perceptions of connection to their campus community, and the outcomes of sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. The current study included two separate mediation models using multiple regression. In the first model, results suggested that more experiences of discrimination were associated with students’ higher levels of disconnection from their peers, which, in turn, were linked to greater sleep problems. In the second model, we found that social disconnection also served as a mediator of the indirect effect between experiences of discrimination and levels of sleep disturbance. Taken together, higher levels of discrimination were associated with greater social disconnection, which was associated with more depressive symptoms (Model 1) and greater sleep disturbance (Model 2). These findings highlight the need for more supportive and inclusive institutional environments to more effectively address minoritized students' health and well-being in predominantly White institutions.