Racism and mental health in higher education: A challenge for LMICs

As the authors of the article “Viewpoint: WHO World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative: Implementation issues in low- and middle-income countries” (LMICs) have pointed out, the university system and the number of students are rapidly growing and changing in LMICs (Evans-Lacko & Thornicroft, 2019). In section 3, “Mental Health Consequences of Universities in Transition in LMICs,” the authors mention important elements of such social change that has led to a new generation of students in college and their challenges, including the lack of financial and family support to pursue their higher education. The authors identify important contextual factors which require consideration prior to the adaptation of interventions for university students, for example, ethical and cultural issues. In our view, it would be valuable to consider the influence of issues related to social identity—for example, LGBTIQ+, race, and disability—on the mental health of university students. Our letter intends to introduce another strand to the dialogue on issues in LMICs, specifically highlighting a commonly neglected aspect of the institutional life that also influences students' mental health within the higher education systems in LMICs—Racism.