Attachment, Appraisal Support, and the Transition to College Among Underrepresented Students

This study investigated associations among attachment to caregivers, peer appraisal support, and depressive symptoms during the transition to college among underrepresented college students attending an elite predominantly White institution (PWI). It was hypothesized that more secure attachment to caregivers would be related to reductions in the experience of depressive symptoms during the transition to college both directly and indirectly through peer appraisal support. Participants in this longitudinal study included 340 first-year undergraduate students attending a selective PWI. The results of this study show that secure attachment to caregivers was related to fewer depressive symptoms during the first semester of college and indirectly related to reductions in depressive symptoms from the first to the second semester through increased peer appraisal support. The results of this study suggest an enduring role of attachment to caregivers in underrepresented students’ mental health during this challenging life transition