Undocumented college students’ psychosocial well-being: A systematic review

Undocumented college students account for over 427,000 students (approximately 2%) enrolled in US colleges and universities. The growing body of research on undocumented college students confirms that their well-being is negatively impacted by their immigration status and that many of these students suffer from psychosocial challenges. In this systematic review, we examine the peer-reviewed research related to undocumented college students and identify and describe the themes related to their psychosocial well-being. The themes explored include the effect of immigration status on psychosocial well-being, impact of sociopolitical climate on psychosocial well-being, effect of public policies on psychosocial well-being, impact of institutional policies and practices on psychosocial well-being, challenges to fully engage in higher education, utilization of mental health services, and positive psychosocial well-being.