An Insight Into the Mental Health of Low Income Gifted Students: A Mixed Methods Study

By: Jasalyn Chavez Abstract

The investigation of gifted students from generational poverty has gone significantly unresearched. Though there are studies on the subjects individually, there are no studies that connect the two and investigate how these two factors might affect a person’s well-being, that was until this present study. This study investigates how the mental health of gifted students from generational poverty who are in or graduated from college is affected by the pressures to break the cycle of poverty. By using a mixed-method design, the researcher created a survey that asked participants questions about pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression, relating to how it has been impacted by their gifted and economic status. This study included three open-ended questions that provided insight into what the participants themselves believe impacts their mental health. The study concluded that both college students who are gifted and from generational poverty, as well as just gifted students, experience higher levels of pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression in comparison to their non-gifted peers. Based on inferential statistical analysis, the researcher concludes with a medium degree of confidence that being a gifted student from generational poverty creates more mental strain in comparison to those who aren’t gifted from a low-income background. This study does not have a high degree of confidence due to its sample size and participants, who are no longer current college students. Since they are recalling their past experiences, it is hard for the results from former college students to represent the well-being of current college students. Future researchers can build on this limitation by conducting a similar study on current college students.

Insight into the Mental Health of Low-Income Gifted Students: A Mixed-Methods Study

Throughout the history of the United States, poverty has been a significant barrier that limits both foundational and higher-education opportunities. As of 2023, 36.8 million people are living in poverty, 9.9 million of whom are children (Food Research & Action Center, 2023). Most of these children have grown up in what is considered “generational poverty,” which is when a family is affected by poverty for two or more generations (NCCAA, 2020). These children grow up in an environment where they are exposed to several stressors that impact their mental health, such as financial struggles, family quarrels, as well as the pressure to break the cycle of poverty (Najman et al., 2004). As they grow older, children born into generational poverty face several barriers in education and are often not granted the same opportunities as their wealthier peers. (NASSP, 2019). Barriers to education leave these students without proper stimulation of the mind, which not only negatively impacts a regular child born into poverty but can be even more detrimental to those who are born naturally gifted (Hair et al., 2015).

The American gifted student is defined as a “student who possesses or demonstrates a high level of ability in one or more content areas when compared to their chronological peers in the school district and who require modifications of their educational program if they are to achieve in accordance with their capabilities” (Gifted and Talented, n.d., p.1). Gifted students are usually placed in higher-level classes that stimulate their minds and allow them to thrive as students. Some of these children have an increased amount of pressure placed on them to perform academically because they are considered ahead of their peers (Baker, 1996). They are expected not only by their parents but by themselves to maintain high grades and strive for perfection, which significantly impacts their mental health (Parker & Mills, 1996). These students continue to strive for perfection as they reach the age to apply to college, where they experience the stress of the real world.

Those who are born gifted and born into generational poverty grow up and experience the reality of college. Kids from generational poverty often remain in poverty until at least their late twenties or early thirties, causing them to face several challenges in affording college (Ratcliffe & McKernan, 2010; Wagmiller & Adelman, 2009). Although their gifted status may get them accepted into higher-level colleges, their lack of funding causes some of these students to have to settle for community colleges or opt out of college altogether. Scholarships and programs like FAFSA have been implemented to aid these students, but many low-income students are less likely to receive aid due to competition from higher-income students (National College Attainment Network, 2019). These limitations prevent these students from achieving all the skills necessary to break the cycle of poverty, which in turn can affect some students’ mental health.

Generational Poverty

Growing Up in Generational Poverty

Students born into generational poverty face several barriers that most of their classmates do not. Normal school experiences like back-to-school shopping, dress-down days, school lunches, and field trips can be difficult for these children to experience due to a lack of income. Many students end up feeling isolated and embarrassed that they can’t afford the same luxuries as their classmates (Horgan, 2009). This embarrassment is furthered by people around them telling them that they don’t have what it takes to succeed because of their income (Weinger, 1998). Though these are only words, children still feel hopeless about their future and stress over the fact that they most likely will not have the opportunity to attend a good school and receive top-tier education (Ferguson, 2007).

Low-Income Students in College

Though several students from generational poverty have not been able to pursue higher education, there are still many who attend community, state, or even Ivy League schools. However, these students still struggle to afford college as well as basic needs. A qualitative study by Andrea Moore and several other researchers examined the impact of financial needs on their overall mental well-being. This study revealed that these students struggle to purchase materials like textbooks which leads them to be behind in their studies. Students reported that their economic status impacted their relationship with others, their ability to focus on schoolwork, and overall caused them severe stress (2021). Further research conducted by the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) reveals that there are several low-income college students who struggle with basic needs, especially food (2023). Building off of Moore’s and the NCES’s findings, many low-income college students have to work in order to keep up with tuition and take care of their needs. A challenging school-work balance has been shown to severely alter students’ sleep patterns and promote mental health issues as stated in Jack S. Peltz’s cross-sectional study on college students work hours and their connection to mental health (2020).

The Mental Health of The American Gifted Student

Gifted students commonly desire to be perfect and be the best in terms of academic achievement which can create several negative effects on their life and mental health. Several studies have reported that there is a high sense of perfectionism in gifted students, and they feel that they are not allowed to fail (Paker and Mills, 1996). One study conducted by Kimberly A. Geddes revealed that for a gifted student, the desire to be perfect and continue to have good grades is so strong that they are more likely than other students to resort to cheating to keep their perfect average (2011). These expectations place numerous amounts of pressure on gifted students which can cause them to develop symptoms like depression (Wanpen Turakitwanakan et al., 2010).

Although there are several studies demonstrating how being a gifted student negatively affects mental health, there are several studies that disagree. Researcher Jean A. Baker examined both gifted and non-gifted students to determine the difference in stressors between the two. Baker found that gifted students did not have a higher stress level than non-gifted students (1996). Though this study is outdated in terms of data, several studies in recent years have supported Baker’s findings. Maboobeh Fouladchang conducted a similar study that investigated both gifted and non-gifted students and their stress, anxiety, and depression levels which concluded that gifted students had lower levels of these illnesses than non-gifted students (2010).

The Mental Tolls of Gifted Students Born into Poverty

Several studies have determined that being born into low-income families as a gifted student positively affects their mental health. The study “Defying the Odds: Gifted and Talented Young People from Low Socioeconomic Backgrounds” examined gifted students through the use of surveys and interviews to investigate how being a gifted student from poverty affected their lives and mental health. The study found that the students’ mental health was positively affected, and the students were more driven to succeed because of their financial barriers (Ballam, 2013). Researchers Szymanski and VanTassel-Baska produced similar results in their studies which concluded that low-income students benefited from interaction with fellow gifted students and had a significant increase in their mental health (Szymanski, 2021; VanTassel-Baska, 2004).

However, there is a significant lack of studies that investigate how factors like stress, anxiety, and depression in gifted students born into generational poverty are affected by the pressures to break the cycle of poverty. These students not only have to balance the pressures of being a gifted child and maintaining a perfect academic performance but also have to deal with the pressures that come with poverty. In college, these students have to focus on continuing their education while making sure they are able to make ends meet. This likely creates stress and anxiety over whether or not they have to sacrifice their education in order to limit financial struggles.

The present study investigates how low-income gifted college and former college students from across the U.S. perceive their mental health and how it has been affected by the pressures to break the cycle of poverty. Unlike previous studies, this one focuses on the stress, anxiety, pressure, and depression levels of these students which has previously been overlooked. The study employs a mixed-method design that relies on the self-reported answers of these students in order to shed light and acknowledge the existence of these issues. Acknowledgment of these issues can inspire further research and can implement programs to help these college students achieve their education.

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