Utilization Rate and Presenting Concerns of International Students at a University Counseling Center

A review of the acculturation experiences of international students

“…Similarly, Nilsson, Berkel, Flores, and Lucas (2004) found that the most common complaint amongst international students at a U.S.A counselling centre was feeling depressed, down, and blue with a 34% endorsement rate. In their qualitative study, McLachlan and Justice (2009) found that one-fifth of the participants reported significant emotional difficulties for which they sought professional help.…”

“…Nilsson et al (2004) demonstrated that only 2% of international students at a U.S.A university sought help from the counselling centre in the year sampled, and of those that did seek help, approximately one third dropped out of treatment after the first session. In their qualitative study, Ang and Liamputtong (2008) found also an underutilisation of counselling services by international students attending an Australian university; where the reasons stated were the belief that counsellors would not have adequate cultural knowledge, and that the service was for individuals with mental illness which carries a social stigma.…”

“…In-line with the IAM, group interventions may also involve policy changes at the state and institutional level in the higher education industry. Many universities have taken measures to target the acculturation of international students through the establishment of support services predominantly focusing on help for practical and academic matters (Andrade, 2006;Arkoudis, 2006;Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2008;Hawthorne, Minas, & Singh, 2004;Nilsson, et al, 2004).…”

“…Additionally, international students' underutilisation of counselling services has resulted in researchers calling for proactive and preventative steps to be taken to aid the acculturation process of international students and prevent acculturative stress (Angelopoulos & Catano, 1993;Bradley, 2000;Khoo & Abu-Rasain, 1994;Komiya & Eells, 2001;Mori, 2000;Nilsson, et al, 2004). Despite this need, there has been a lack of interventions administered by the host society to improve the adaptation of international students.…”

Fairness Perceptions and Experiences of Muslim University Students in Canada

“…28). As a result of international students' unwillingness to receive counselling services (Huyn, Quinn, Madon, & Lustig, 2007;Lu, Dear, Johnston, Wootton, & Titov, 2014;Mori, 2000;Nilsson, Berkel, Flores, & Lucas, 2004;Yakushko, Davidson, & Sanford-Martens, 2008) and some universities' indifference to the challenges of international students, especially to adjustment problems (Wilson, 2011), international students become "one of the most quiet, invisible, underserved groups on the American campus" (Mori, 2000, p. 143). Knight (2011) provided similar observations that international students often undergo ethnic or racial tensions and that these students are marginalized, both socially and academically.…”