Open AccessMental Health Status and Help-Seeking Strategies of Canadian International Students
Author(s) -
Danielle de Moissac,
Jan Marie Graham,
Kevin Prada,
Ndèye Rokhaya Gueye,
Rhéa Rocque
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
canadian journal of higher education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2293-6602
pISSN - 0316-1218
DOI - 10.47678/cjhe.vi0.188815
Subject(s) - mental health , psychology , coping (psychology) , scale (ratio) , mental health literacy , higher education , medical education , distress , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , mental illness , political science , physics , quantum mechanics , law
International students are at heightened risk of developing psychological distress, yet little research has been conducted on their mental health or support needs. This quantitative study focused on undergraduate students at two mid-sized universities in Manitoba, Canada. Online and paper surveys were completed by 932 participants, of whom 21% identified as international students. This paper, descriptive in nature, outlines the sociodemographic profiles, current mental health status, psychological characteristics, and coping strategies of international students compared to domestic students in each institution. Data show that international students are more likely to report excellent mental health, score higher on the mental health scale, and report higher life satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and more positive body image than domestic respondents. However, they are less likely to talk about their hardships. Providing culturally-adapted supports that take into consideration ethnolinguistic differences, religious practice, and mental health literacy will better meet the needs of international students on campus.