The Relationship Between Field of Study and Depression Symptoms Among EOP and EOPS Students Across California Campuses
Abstract
This study investigates how characteristics such as college major and underrepresented minority status affect the association on depression symptoms for students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) or the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) across california campuses. Results demonstrate that college major have a significant association with depression. Our analysis reveals that Arts & Humanities majors are significantly higher risk of showing depression symptoms compared to other majors. These findings align with past literature highlithing “arts & humanities’ majors having a higher depression score. These findings can help with prioritizing or expanding mental health services or counseling services within EOP/EOPS or similar programs. Future research should consider variables such as college major, ethnicity, income levels and whether they have family history of depression to use to explore existing research gaps by focusing on the economically and educationally disadvantaged students.