scholarly journals International Students in the U.S.: Social and Psychological Adjustment

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Jackson ◽  
Sukanya Ray ◽  
Danica Bybell
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
International Students ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Sociocultural Adjustment

In this study, we examined the role of self-esteem, hope, optimism, coping, acculturative stress, and social support on international students’ depressive symptoms and sociocultural adjustment. Seventy international students completed a self-report online survey. The most notable finding was that the international students used adaptive and maladaptive coping techniques at similar rates. Greater use of coping techniques, higher acculturative stress and less social support were associated with more depressive symptoms and more difficulty with sociocultural adjustment. Lower self-esteem, less hope, and less optimism were associated with more depressive symptoms, but not sociocultural difficulty. Clinical implications and future directions are also discussed.

scholarly journals Spiritual Well-Being, Social Support, and Financial Distress in Determining Depression: The Mediating Role of Impact of Event During COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamid Sharif Nia ◽  
Ozkan Gorgulu ◽  
Navaz Naghavi ◽  
María Auxiliadora Robles-Bello ◽  
David Sánchez-Teruel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This study investigates the relationship between spiritual well-being, social support, and financial distress with depressive symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A path analysis was used to analyze data collected from 1,156 Iranian participants via an online survey. The results showed that spiritual well-being and social support were negatively related to depressive symptoms and financial distress. The impact of COVID-19 events showed negative associations with depressive symptoms. In addition, the link between spiritual well-being and financial distress with depressive symptoms was partially mediated by the impact of events.

scholarly journals The motivational primacy of environmental coherence : self-derogation and the experience of meaning in life

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samantha J. Heintzelman
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The World ◽  
Human Tendency

Although the human tendency to make self-serving attributions is well-documented, not all behaviors and cognitions are primarily self-serving. Victims blame themselves for uncontrollable circumstances and individuals derogate themselves to maintain a sense that the world is just. Callan and colleagues (2014) found that random negative outcomes result in lowered self-esteem, increased perceptions that one deserves bad outcomes, and spurred self-detrimental behaviors. How might these self-defeating processes be explained? I examined whether such processes might serve to maintain a broader sense of coherence that allows the experience of life as meaningful. Participants (N = 1199) wrote about past bad or good breaks, or daily activities, and then rated self-esteem, deservingness of bad outcomes, and meaning in life and coherence. I found no support for the prediction that self-esteem would negatively relate (or deservingness of bad outcome beliefs would positively relate) to meaning in life following reminders of bad breaks. Some evidence emerged suggesting that self-esteem was less strongly related to coherence in the good breaks condition compared to controls. Exploratory analyses examined the role of depression in processes involved in the experience of life as meaningful. The manipulation had stronger effects on meaning in life in participants experiencing depressive symptoms compared to those who were not. Furthermore, self-esteem was more strongly related to meaning in life in individuals experiencing some depression compared to the non-depressed participants, especially in the bad breaks condition. Implications for this work regarding the study of meaning in life and future directions regarding this research question are discussed.

scholarly journals Home Away from Home - The Role of Social Support for International Students’ Adjustment

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (Number 2) ◽  
pp. 33-54
Author(s):  
Sana Anwar Lashari ◽  
Amrita Kaur ◽  
Rosna Awang-Hashim
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
International Students ◽  
Psychological Adjustment ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Stress Path ◽  
Acculturation Stress ◽  
Student Adjustment ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Proposed Model

Purpose – Academic and psychological adjustment of international students is central to their success while pursuing their degrees abroad. However, acculturation stress is abundant and may pose as a challenge. Thus, in this study we examined whether social support mediates the association between acculturation stress and academic and psychological adjustment. Methodology – A cross sectional research design was employed. A total of 200 postgraduate international students from three Malaysian public universities were recruited to participate in the study. The Student Adjustment to College Questionnaire was employed to measure their academic adjustment and psychological adjustment. The Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support and the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students were used to collect data on social support and acculturation stress. Path analysis by AMOS 23 was used to test the hypothesized relationship. Findings – Results provided support for the proposed model, revealing that social support was associated with greater academic and psychological adjustment among international students. Significance – The present study has implications for university policies, counsellors, and student affairs departments on the need to take measures to facilitate healthy academic and psychological adjustment among international students.

scholarly journals Association of Covid-19 pandemic-related stress and depressive symptoms among international medical students

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Lu ◽  
Xiaobin Wang ◽  
Xuehang Wang ◽  
Xiaoxi Guo ◽  
Bochen Pan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
International Students ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
International Medical ◽  
Negative Coping ◽  
Related Stress

Abstract Background The outbreak of Covid-19 had negative impacts on the mental stress and induced psychological distress among university students worldwide. This study proposed a moderated mediation model, and hypothesized that the Covid-19 pandemic-related stress was positively related to depressive symptoms among international medical students. Methods An online survey on stress and depressive symptoms of international students was conducted in a medical university. Questions on Covid-19 pandemic-related stress, Patient Health Quesionnaire-9, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire and the Perceived Social Support Scale were used as measurements, and model analyses were conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results It was found that 9.83%, 3.08% and 2.12% students had mild, moderate and severe depressive symptoms, respectively, and the positive association between Covid-19 pandemic-related stress and depressive symptoms was significant (β = 0.27, t = 6.87, P < 0.01). Negative coping was also significantly correlated to depressive symptoms (β = 0.26, t = 6.60, P < 0.01), and partially mediated the association between Covid-19 pandemic-related stress and depressive symptoms. Perceived social support had a negative association with depressive symptoms (β=-0.26, t=-6.25, P < 0.01), played a negative moderating role in the relationship between negative coping and depressive symptoms, and moderated the indirect effect of Covid-19 pandemic-related stress on depressive symptoms via negative coping. Conclusions Results of the study suggested that under the background of continuing pandemic, intervention or prevention of mental health problem is urgently needed for the international students, and depression may be alleviated through reducing negative coping and increasing perceived social support.

scholarly journals The Role of Attachment, Travel Experiences and English Proficiency in International Students’ Acculturative Stress and Depressive Symptoms

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 188-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iskra Smiljanic
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
International Students ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Us ◽  
Graduate International Students ◽  
The Relationship

This study examined the relationship between attachment, travel experiences, and English proficiency and international students’ acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. A total of 91 graduate international students completed online surveys. Pearson correlations showed that both attachment anxiety and avoidance were positively correlated with depressive symptoms, while only attachment anxiety was positively correlated with acculturative stress. Acculturative stress was significantly higher for those participants who never traveled abroad prior to moving to the US. Additionally, lower scores on the speaking section of the TOEFL exam were related to more acculturative stress. Implications for outreach, counseling, and future research are discussed.

Testing the Strain Theory of Suicide – The Moderating Role of Social Support

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bob Lew ◽  
Ksenia Chistopolskaya ◽  
Yanzheng Liu ◽  
Mansor Abu Talib ◽  
Olga Mitina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Suicidal Behavior ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Strain Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Psychological Strains ◽  
Moderating Role

Abstract. Background: According to the strain theory of suicide, strains, resulting from conflicting and competing pressures in an individual's life, are hypothesized to precede suicide. But social support is an important factor that can mitigate strains and lessen their input in suicidal behavior. Aims: This study was designed to assess the moderating role of social support in the relation between strain and suicidality. Methods: A sample of 1,051 employees were recruited in Beijing, the capital of China, through an online survey. Moderation analysis was performed using SPSS PROCESS Macro. Social support was measured with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and strains were assessed with the Psychological Strains Scale. Results: Psychological strains are a good predictor of suicidality, and social support, a basic need for each human being, moderates and decreases the effects of psychological strains on suicidality. Limitations: The cross-sectional survey limited the extent to which conclusions about causal relationships can be drawn. Furthermore, the results may not be generalized to the whole of China because of its diversity. Conclusion: Social support has a tendency to mitigate the effects of psychological strains on suicidality.

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