Supporting Mental Health
While all students are susceptible to challenges related to mental health, international students experience a unique set of factors that contribute to an increased need for support, education, and preventative care. In addition to being in a vulnerable age bracket for the onset of mental illness, international students may experience challenges related to culture shock, homesickness, racism and discrimination, financial difficulties, and immigration policy. This combination of acculturative needs culminates in a landscape of heightened acculturative stress for international students and a prominent need for institutional support emerges.
Mental health programming and support must not be seen as a separate or auxiliary entity within institutions of higher education; it must be embedded into the construct of a comprehensive and integrated curriculum and learning paradigm. It is under this premise that the following resources have been curated. The resources found here are intended to provide those who work with international students, with guidance about how to best support a positive and inclusive climate that will contribute to positive trends in mental health.
Mental Health Awareness for International Students
What are the most commonly experienced mental health challenges for international students?
News Articles
International Student Well-Being (Inside Higher Ed)
Inside the Challenges International Students Face Navigating Mental Health at Penn (The Daily Pennsylvanian)
Study Reveals One in Four International College Students Seek Mental Health Support Due to Stress (PR Newswire)
Rising Student Mental Health Problems Need Urgent Action (University World News)
Chinese, Studying in America, and Struggling (may require a New York Times subscription)
Inside the Challenges
Supporting International Student Mental Health During Challenging Times [Webinar]
Webinar requires user to register using their email/LinkedIn/facebook - but the webinar content is free!
Organizations and Programs
References
Andrew, L. (2020, September 19). Rising student mental health problems need urgent action. University World News. https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20200918101649827.
Durrani, A. (2019, April 8). 3 mental health tips for international students. U.S. News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2019-04-08/how-to-look-after-mental-health-as-an-international-studentin-the-us?rec-type=sailthru.
Forbes-Mewett, H. (2019). Mental health and international students: Issues, challenges, & effective practice. International Education Association of Australia. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.19923.94243
Gao, H. (2017, December 12). Chinese, studying in America, and struggling. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/opinion/chinese-students-mental-health.html.
Haber, F., & Griffiths, S. (2017, February 22). 5 unique mental health stressors faced by international students. https://www.eaie.org/blog/5-mental-health-stressors-international-students.html.
Harvard University. Let's Talk! http://www.talkhgse.org/resources.
Kumar, M. T. (2015, February 26). 7 ways to practice emotional first aid. IDEAS.TED.COM. https://ideas.ted.com/7-ways-to-practice-emotional-first-aid/.
Li, Z., Heath, M. A., Jackson, A. P., Allen, G. E. K., Fischer, L., & Chan, P. (2017). Acculturation experiences of Chinese international students who attend American universities. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(1), 11-21.
Morneau Shepell Inc. (2020, August 11). Study reveals one in four international college students seek mental health support due to stress. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-reveals-one-in-four-international-college-students-seek-mental-health-support-due-to-stress-301110208.html.
Redden, E. (2019, May 31). International student well-being. Panel focuses on mental health needs of international students. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/05/31/panel-focuses-mental-health-needs-international-students.
Schwartz, N. (2020, September 17). Colleges go virtual to address growing mental health needs. https://www.educationdive.com/news/colleges-go-virtual-to-address-growing-mental-health-needs/585456/?utm_source=Sailthru.
Simon, C. (2017, February 21). Inside the challenges international students face navigating mental health at Penn. The Daily Pennsylvanian. https://www.thedp.com/article/2017/02/international-students-mental-health.
The Jed Foundation (JED). (2020, September 4). https://www.jedfoundation.org/.
Williams, G., Case, R. & Roberts, C. (2018). Understanding the mental health issues of international students on campus. Educational Research: Theory and Practice, 29(2), 18-28.
Yu, A. (2020, April 21). Mental health impacts and support for international students in COVID-19. Mental Health America. https://www.mhanational.org/blog/mental-health-impacts-and-support-international-students-covid-19.
Zheng, K., & West-Olatunji, C. A. (2016). Mental health concerns of mainland Chinese international students in the United States: A literature review. VISTAS Online. https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/vistas/article_20fcbf24f16116603abcacff0000bee5e7.pdf?sfvrsn=4