scholarly journals Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among International Students: Implications for University Support Offices

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel L Shadowen ◽  
Ariel A Williamson ◽  
Nancy G Guerra ◽  
Ravichandran Ammigan ◽  
Matthew L Drexler
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
International Students ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Multiple Regression Model ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
University Environment ◽  
English Fluency ◽  
University Support

International students often experience significant challenges and difficulties adjusting to their new campus and university environment abroad. As a result, understanding the unique needs of these students has become an important priority for many university administrators and mental health professionals amid growing health concerns faced by members of this community. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in a sample of international students enrolled in a mid-size U.S. university. A hierarchical multiple regression model revealed that poor English fluency, increased acculturative stress, and perceived discrimination were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, whereas increased social support was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Implications for university administration and support services are discussed.

scholarly journals Support Services at Spanish and U.S. Institutions: A Driver for International Student Satisfaction

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 984-998
Author(s):  
Adriana Perez- Encinas ◽  
Ravichandran Ammigan
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Support Services ◽  
International Student ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
International Student Mobility ◽  
University Support ◽  
New Research

Many institutions of higher education are promoting campus internationalization as a core principle through international student mobility and, as a result, have expanded rapidly in enrollment. To effectively serve this growing population, many campuses have had to strengthen their student support services. However, while many have welldeveloped programs for students in general, not all services are designed to specifically cover the needs of international students. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview on research conducted on the topic of international student satisfaction with university support services as a means to ensure a positive student experience. It also provides a new research approach for comparing how support services for international students are structured at Spanish and U.S. institutions.

scholarly journals Biopsychosocial Factors Associated with Depression among U.S. Undergraduate International Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanyi Zeng ◽  
Nelson Brunsting ◽  
Nicole Brocato ◽  
Lisa Kiang ◽  
Eranda Jayawickreme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
International Students ◽  
School Belonging ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
The Novel ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
And Coping

Using a biopsychosocial framework, our study examined the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors associated with depression among a cross-sectional sample of undergraduate international students (N = 712) attending 28 U.S. colleges and universities. Consistent with hypotheses, regression analysis revealed that self-esteem, life satisfaction, and coping self-efficacy were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, and that ethnic minority status, perceived discrimination, and financial concerns were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Contrary to predictions, age, optimism, friendships, and school belonging were not significant predictors, and perseverance predicted increased depression in this sample. The novel findings provide implications for researchers, university administrators, and counselors.

scholarly journals The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer International Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-94
Author(s):  
Hoa Nguyen ◽  
Erika Grafsky ◽  
Jennifer Lambert-Shute
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
International Student ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Significant Research ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
And Migration

There is a significant research gap in understanding the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) international students. The purpose of this systematic review is to explore what we currently know about LGBQ international students, by synthesizing peer-reviewed and gray literature that focused on this intersection of sexual and cultural diversity. A total of 10 records met the inclusion criteria and were examined. Out of these 10 records, 6 were empirical studies. Findings from this analysis highlighted the salience of: (a) identity formation and migration, (b) the double barrier of being an international student and LGBQ, and (c) multi- layered discrimination and heteronormativity. We then provide suggestions for future research and implications for mental health professionals, educators, and university administrators.

scholarly journals Problematic Areas of Host University Support Services for Short-Term Mobility Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 1030-1047
Author(s):  
Adriana Perez-Encinas ◽  
Jesus Rodriguez-Pomeda ◽  
Mikuláš Josek
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
International Students ◽  
Student Services ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Student Mobility ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Mobile Students ◽  
University Support

The growing numbers of mobile students over the years made the provision of student services a key topic of interest for higher education institutions. In order to offer a better experience for international students, it is important to be aware of and assess their needs in relation to different sets of support services. The data used in this paper were gathered through the ESNsurvey 2016 project, a research venture focused on the experiences of participants in short-term student mobility in Europe. Responses were collected from 12,365 international students, who have participated in a short-term (3-12 months) study period abroad mostly through Europe’s most promoted mobility program called ERASMUS+. For the purpose of this paper, the focus was only on the aspect of host university support services. The comments of 2,012 students about their experiences were analyzed using a probabilistic methodology known as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). 

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 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.

Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention in Reducing New International Postgraduates’ Acculturative Stress in Malaysian Public Universities: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musheer Abdulwahid Al-Jaberi ◽  
Muhamad Hanafiah Juni ◽  
Hayati Kadir Shahar ◽  
Siti Irma Fadhilah Ismail ◽  
Murad Abdu Saeed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Students ◽  
Acculturative Stress ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cluster Randomized

BACKGROUND Universities around the world, including Malaysia, have attracted many international students from different countries. Research has reported that acculturative stress resulting from international students’ attempts to adjust to the cultures of host countries is one of the most challenging issues that affects their lives in general and academic lives in particular. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the effectiveness of an educational intervention on acculturative stress among new postgraduate international students joining Malaysian public universities. METHODS A cluster randomized controlled trial design with Malaysian public universities as the unit of randomization will be used in this study. Public universities will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to be either in the intervention (educational program) or control group (waiting list). Participants in the intervention group will receive 7 sessions in 9 hours delivered by an expert in psychology and the researcher. The control group will receive the intervention once the 3-month follow-up evaluation is completed. RESULTS The data will be analyzed using the generalized estimation equation with a confidence interval value of 95%; significant differences between and within groups are determined as <i>P</i>&lt;.05. The results of the study underlie the effectiveness of educational program in decreasing acculturative stress of new international students and enabling them to cope with a new environment. The results of this study will contribute to previous knowledge of acculturative stress, acculturation, and adjustment of international students. Furthermore, such results are expected to play a role in raising university policy makers’ awareness of their postgraduate international students’ acculturative stress issues and how they can help them avoid such stress and perform well in their academic life. CONCLUSIONS We expect that the intervention group will score significantly lower than the wait-list group on the immediate and 3-month postintervention evaluation of acculturative stress and achieve a higher level of adjustment. Results will have implications for international students, policy makers at universities, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education, and future research. CLINICALTRIAL Clinical Trials Registry India CTRI/2018/01/011223; http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1= 21978&amp;amp;EncHid=&amp;amp;userName=Muhamad%20Hanafiah%20Juni INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT PRR1-10.2196/12950

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