Significance.
Over the past three decades, the number of international students enrolled in higher education programs has increased (IIE Open Doors / Enrollment Trends, 2020). Due to the influx of international students from all over the world, the United States' colleges and universities have become increasingly culturally diverse (Institute of International Education, 2013). Universities and colleges are embracing diversity, as evidenced by the percentage of international students, making up 5.5% of the total student enrollment in postsecondary programs across the United States (IIE Open Doors / Enrollment Trends, 2020).
Being in a foreign college or university presents unique transitional challenges for the majority of these students, including constant pressure to acculturate (Duru & Poyrazli, 2007); adjusting to a new education system and a new language (Institute of International Education, 2013); loss of social status; and immigration concerns (Wang & Mallinckrodt, 2006). Some international students have expressed financial distress (Mutai, 2008; National Association of Foreign Student Advisers, 2011); academic difficulties (Willis, Stroebe, Caldwell, & Utsey, 2003; Zhai, 2004); discrimination (Constantine, Anderson, Berkel, Caldwell, & Utsey, 2005; Hanassab, 2006; Poyrazli & Lopez, 2007); and a lack of support systems (Araujo, 2011; Constantine, Kindaichi, Okazaki, Gainor, & Baden, 2005). Others have described difficulties caused by changes in food, weather, and time zones (Johanson, 2010), as well as anguish caused by attempts to maintain their own cultural identity (Johanson, 2010). (Sue & Sue, 2008). Additionally, personal crises at home (such as illness or the death of family members or friends, as well as parental strife or divorce) and the management of these crises, particularly when students are unable to return home, can cause a great deal of stress (Mori, 2002).
International students are more sensitive to social, emotional, relational, and psychological difficulties than American students due to these particular circumstances (Galloway & Jenkins, 2009). If not managed, these issues can lead to international students' academic performance declining, withdrawal from school, addiction, and physical deterioration (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2012; Vogel, Wade, & Wester, 2007). International students may require assistance transitioning to living in a foreign country, and professional mental health therapy is one of the identified support networks (Nina, 2009). International students underutilize mental health services, despite the fact that they face greater difficulties than other students and appear to be in desperate need of psychological treatment (Mori, 2000). It is critical to recognize that cultural differences in perceptions of and responses to stressors may influence the coping mechanisms used by international students (Onabule & Boes, 2013). For instance, some overseas students view psychosomatic issues as medical concerns (Mori, 2002) and are more comfortable seeking medical care than mental health care (Nina, 2009; Onabule & Boes, 2013), but others prefer to seek help from friends and family (Constantine, Anderson, et al., 2005; Zhai, 2004).
References
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