With the number of international students studying in the United States continuously increasing, it is important that universities support these students to achieve academic success. Many universities provide services and departments that will assist students with general international issues (visas and documentation), language skills (writing centers or intensive language programs), and other support services (student organizations). However, how to best support international students who face issues of stress and anxiety is not as clear. This brief article reviews research on international student adjustment issues along with student use or lack of use of counseling or other support services. Articles reviewed look at factors that create stress and anxiety for students and why students do or do not seek support, along with suggestions for those in higher education. This information was also presented at the ITA Consortium at Carnegie Mellon University as part of a regional conference on supporting international teaching assistants (ITAs).

In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the population of international students in the United States, we can look at general information from Open Door data 2014/2015. There were more than 974,000 international students studying at the university level in the United States for the 2014/2015 academic year. This represented a 10% increase over the year before and the most significant increase since 1978. Most (40.9%) of those international students are undergraduates, but 37.2% (a rise of 5%) are also graduate students. This is important because orientation and support for undergraduates seem to surpass the orientation programming and following support for graduate/professional students. Most (31%) international students in general are from China, and the programs they are pursuing fall generally into the business or engineering and math programs. Fifty-eight percent of international students studying in the United States are from China, India, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia.

International students are often recruited for economic reasons, for the billions of dollars they and their dependents bring in to universities. Global competition for international students exists between universities as well as programs, such as intensive English programs. Retention of these students, as well, is generally good, though clear data are not readily available on retention rates. However, this article looks at adjustment and stressors for international students along with suggestions from various studies on how to best support them.

Andrade (2006) and Araujo (2011) look first at the adjustment issues that international students face as they attend U.S. universities. Institutions, Andrade (2006) indicates, need to provide appropriate support for international students and to do so, need to understand adjustment issues. In her study, Andrade (2006) found that international students exhibited more stress and anxiety as they spent greater effort to overcome challenges (p. 136), and these challenges included social adjustment and language skill issues. For graduate students, academic work left little time for social interactions for social adjustment, but this was also hindered by a lack of sociocultural understanding. In addition to social issues, underlying many of the stressors that Andrade (2006) found were language proficiency and cultural knowledge issues. In turn, Araujo (2011) identified main issues as language proficiency and social support. Length of stay in the United States and homesickness were also contributing factors to the adjustment of international students.

These difficulties are mirrored in Sumer, Poyrazli, and Grahame (2008) as she discusses the predictors of depression and anxiety for international students. Language barriers, immigration difficulties, culture shock, and social adjustment and homesickness contribute to a sense of “hopelessness” that can become depression. In turn, she found that higher social support led to higher adjustment levels and lower stress. Olivas and Li (2006) also indicate that common sources of stress include language barriers and lack of knowledge of the host culture along with cultural differences. Students less acculturated had greater difficulties. Language proficiency was a significant predictor of acculturative stress. Age was also a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Wide cultural gaps were reported as creating stress (Mori, 2000), especially in the area of social relationships. Based on these studies, universities should provide programming for establishing better social support networks.

Though students experience these stressors, the number international students using counseling services seems to remain low (Hyun, Quinn, Madon, and Lustig , 2007). Hyun, Quinn, Madon, and Lustig (2007) mention four areas of adjustment: general living, academic, sociocultural, and personal psychological adjustment and also notes that though 44% of international graduate students reported stress-related issues, only 17% used counseling services. Of domestic students, 36% sought help from counseling. In this study, barriers to use of services included knowledge of services and stigma. Mori (2000) indicates that international students experience more problems than other students and that critical cultural differences and beliefs about mental health were barriers to use of services. Stigma and trying to retain “family honor” were cited as causes by Mori (2000) along with the tendency to “somaticize” issues, which may then be taken up with health services. Mori (2000) also reports a general unfamiliarity with the basic concept of counseling.

Regarding suggestions for supporting students, it was found that those students who had better connections and relations with their advisors were more likely to use counseling. Olivas and Li (2006) also note that traditional theories of psychology and counseling are culturally specific and may not be suitable for clients who hold varied beliefs and values. In order to address the lack of use of support services and to address the stressors, Olivas and Li (2006) suggest interaction with faculty, just as Hyun (2007) noted the importance of relating to advisors. Social support systems can also include increased interaction with domestic students (Olivas & Li, 2006) along with proactive approaches to make counseling and services more visible and accessible to students (Mori, 2000). Mori (2000) also recommends greater visibility and proactive approaches, for example continued education on the services versus a single information session during orientation. Mori also noted that helping students learn and practice “assertive communication skills” can improve the level of functioning in the United States.

Generally, adjustment issues included both language skills and barriers, and cultural understanding. These led to stress; stress has been found to be better addressed through interaction with advisors, faculty, and other students; however, various factors hinder the use of counseling services, including a general understanding of the services along with other elements, such as visibility of the services. It is suggested that universities be proactive in educating students about services but also that counseling professionals learn to better understand the culture of students. Also, realizing that creating better engagement with faculty, advisors, and peers—and being proactive about it—is beneficial for students and thus worthy of further study by universities.

References

Andrade, M. S. (2006). International students in English-speaking universities. Journal of Research in International Education, 5(2), 131–154.

Araujo, A. A. (2011). Adjustment issues of international students enrolled in American colleges and universities: A review of the literature. Higher Education Studies, 1(1), 2–8.

Hyun, J., Quinn, B., Madon, T., and Lustig, S. (2007) Mental Health Need, Awareness, and Use of Couseling Services among International Graduate Students. Journal of American College Health, 56 (2), 109-117

Institute of International Education. Research and Insights – Open Doors - Data – International Students, 2014/15, https://www.iie.org/en/Research
-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Data/International-Students. Accessed 1 April 2017.

Mori, S. (2000) Addressing the Mental Health Concerns of International Students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, Spring, 137-144.

Olivas , M., and Li, C. (2006) Understanding Sttressors of Internationl Students in Hiegher Eduation: What College Counselors and personnel need to Know. Journal of Instructional Psychology. 33 (3), 217-222.

Sumer, S., Poyrazli, S. and Grahame, K. (2008) Predictors of Depression and Anxiety Among International Students. Journal of Counseling & Development, 86, Fall, 429-437.

Further Reading

Chavajay, P. (2013) Perceived Social Support Among International Students at a US University. Psychological Reports: Sociocultural Issues in Psychology. 112(2), 667-677.

Lawson, T. and Fuehrer, A. (2001) The Role of Social Support in Moderating the Stress that First-year Graduate Students Experience. Education, 110 (2), 186-194.

Miller, S. (2016) Signs and Solutions for International Students Experiencing Cultural Loneliness, Isolation, and Anxiety. Homestay.com, February 29, 2016.

Szabo, A., Ward, C., and Jose, P. (2016) Uprooting Stress, Coping, and Anxiety: A Longitudinal Study of International Students. International Journal of Stress Management, 23 (2), 190-208.

Elise Geither, PhD, is currently associate director of spoken English programs at Case Western Reserve University. She has worked in higher education for more than 20 years supporting international students and students transitioning to university. Geither is also a playwright and poet. Her plays have been produced throughout the United States and her short play, “The Stone,” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.