The Impact of Historical Loss on Native American College Students' Mental Health: The Protective Role of Ethnic Identity

Culturally relevant stressors and protective factors are vital to understanding and effectively supporting Native American/Alaska Native (NA/AN) college students' mental health and well-being. This study examined the theorized pathways among historical loss, well-being, psychological distress, and the proposed cultural buffer of ethnic identity in the indigenist stress-coping model (ISCM). Cross-sectional data were collected via online survey and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Participants were a national sample of 242 NA/AN college students. Participants were predominantly women (n = 185; 76%) and median age was 21 years. Partial support was found for the ISCM. Participants reported frequent thoughts of historical loss, which were associated with lower well-being and higher levels of psychological distress. Ethnic identity moderated the relationship between historical loss and well-being such that those with stronger ethnic identities reported a weaker relationship between historical loss and lower well-being. Results underscore the importance of culturally specific risk and protective factors in NA/AN college students' resiliency and inform needed interventions and systemic change in higher education. Public Significance Statement Native American (NA) and Alaska Native (AN) college students experience some of the most significant educational inequities in the United States but little research focuses on specific and unique pathways for resilience within this population. Evidence suggests that historical loss is a relevant stressor for NA/AN college students and having a strong ethnic identity protects students' well-being. Creating greater educational equity requires higher education institutions to address this stressor and explicitly support students' ethnic identities.