Self-segregation, sense of belonging, and social support: An inquiry into the practices and perceptions of Chinese graduate students at an American Mid-Atlantic University

Chinese students studying in the United States face great challenges when adapting to cultural, linguistic, and pedagogical differences. Although discouraged in the literature, self-segregation is a practice common among some international students and is especially prevalent in the Chinese community. This qualitative study explored the motivation and frequency of this practice vis-à-vis social support, and its effect on the participants’ sense of belonging. Insider status was employed to conduct focus groups of mainland Chinese students currently enrolled in graduate programs at a Mid-Atlantic University in the United States. Findings from the study explore how administrators, educators, and the students themselves view the practice of self-segregation and its consequences.

Diagnosis concealment is associated with psychosocial outcomes in persons with multiple sclerosis

Persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) frequently conceal their diagnosis, fearing professional and personal repercussions of disclosing. Associations of concealment behavior and expected consequences of disclosure with psychosocial outcomes were examined in 90 pwMS who completed validated self-report measures of diagnosis concealment, loneliness, social support, and self-efficacy. More frequent concealment was related to worse loneliness ( rp = 0.213, p = 0.045) and lower social support ( rp = −0.211, p = 0.047), controlling for depression. Higher anticipated negative consequences of disclosure were associated with worse loneliness ( rp = 0.263, p = 0.013), lower social support ( rp = −0.338, p < 0.001), and lower self-efficacy ( rp = −0.350, p < 0.001). Findings hold implications for the development of psychological support strategies addressing concealment/disclosure issues and their psychosocial consequences.