Addressing the Mental Health Problems of Chinese International College Students in the United States

Abstract

This article identifies unique mental health problems experienced by Chinese international students in the United States. The uniqueness of these problems suggests the need to address them independently from other Chinese and international student communities. First, an overview of the common sources of mental health problems and specific stressors these students face is provided. This article then develops culturally sensitive programming recommendations to improve collaborative efforts between health providers, mental health social workers, faculty, and academic staff within universities to serve these students more effectively.

An internet survey of emotional health, treatment seeking and barriers to accessing mental health treatment among Chinese-speaking international students in Australia

“…Although there has been a growing number of published studies on the mental health and service use of Asian international students in the USA (de Araujo, 2011;Raunic & Xenos, 2008), most previous research often failed to discriminate between the various Asian ethnic sub-groups, thus obscuring vast sociocultural differences between them (Uehara, Takeuchi, & Smukler, 1994). As such, limited mental health literature exists on Chinese-speaking international students in the USA (Liu, 2009), and even less so in Australia (Zheng et al, 2004).…”

Mental Health and Its Associated Variables Among International Students at a Japanese University: With Special Reference to Their Financial Status

“…Hokkaido University has a mid-term plan in place that calls for the increase in the number of its international students from 1,450 in 2011 to 1,800 in 2015: the latter figure will represent about 10 % of all enrollments [3]. To cope with this growth, the university needs to upgrade its infrastructure to provide the necessary support for students; such improvements include a better social environment so that the students can effectively cope with potential mental health problems, which have been found to be relatively common among international students [4][5][6][7][8].…”

Evaluation and treatment of low and anxious mood in Chinese-speaking international students studying in Scotland: study protocol of a pilot randomised controlled trial

“…This found no previous evaluations of such cCBT treatments aimed at Chinese-speaking international students. Liu’s [3] study of mental health problems in Chinese international college students found that depression is significant in this group, and that access to help in the appropriate language can be limited within English-based student counselling and NHS services. The current pilot study will help inform whether an online low-intensity CBT approach that would increase access to treatment can be evaluated in this population and help define the sample size required to answer the question of clinical effectiveness.…”

“…In addition, the results of the current study relating to changes in PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores could inform and guide practitioners about the mental health needs of Chinese international students and the difficulties faced when they study overseas [3]. …”

“…International university students experience a high degree of stress and distress and encounter various types of challenges and problems [1–3]. According to findings from the Mental Health Foundation, nearly one-fifth of adults living in the UK experience anxiety or depression.…”