Counseling Utilization by Ethnic Minority College Students.

TLDR

Despite growing multicultural awareness, research on counseling use and outcomes for ethnic minority university students remains scarce. The study surveyed 1,166 help‑seeking students of four ethnic groups across 40 universities, administering the OQ45 at initial and final therapy sessions. Caucasian students attended more sessions than other groups, Asian American students had the highest initial distress, yet all groups showed symptom improvement without reaching clinically significant change, highlighting implications for therapists working with minority clients.

Abstract

Although multicultural awareness in counseling has risen substantially in the last decade, little research has examined counseling utilization and outcomes for ethnic minorities on university campuses. A sample of 1,166 African American, Asian American, Caucasian, and Latino help-seeking university students from over 40 universities nationwide filled out the Outcome Questionnaire 45 (OQ45) at the first and last therapy sessions. Caucasian students attended significantly more sessions than all other groups. Greatest distress was found at intake in Asian American students, followed by Latino, African American, and Caucasian students. All groups appeared to benefit from therapy, as noted by a decrease in symptomatology, but none of the groups met the criteria for clinically significant change for the OQ45. Implications for therapists working with minority clients are discussed.