Depression is a mental health concern for many students and is prevalent among undergraduates at a concerning rate. It has also been shown that underserved and underrepresented individuals in science are disproportionately impacted by depression (Turner and Noh, 1988, Eisenberg et al., 2007; Jenkins et al., 2013; American College Health Association, 2018). If we want to create a more inclusive community in science, we should consider how students’ depressive symptoms interact with their research experiences. However, there is a lack of understanding of the relationship between undergraduate research and students’ depression. A recent study published by the Biology Education Research Lab at ASU begins to explore how depression impacts undergraduate research experiences, as well as how these research experiences affect students’ depression.
Tags: Anxiety • evidence-based • faculty • Higher Education, • inclusion • inclusive teaching • Katelyn Cooper • Life Sciences • mentors • Research • sara brownell • STEM • Support • undergraduate biology education