Adjustment Challenges for East Asian International Students

Abstract

The process of adjusting to a new cultural environment is often considered to be quite stressful. International students of East Asian backgrounds sometimes experience even greater adjustment challenges (e.g., language barriers) which may lead to elevated stress levels. The psychological well-being of these students is also endangered if their excessive stress is not controlled and ameliorated. The current thesis therefore provides an in-depth review of literature documenting common stressors reported by East Asian international students, and the relationship of such stressors to possible outcomes such as depression and anxiety disorders. To better inform services providers about East Asian international students’ unique needs, help-seeking attitudes and behaviors of these students will also be briefly reviewed. Limitations of prior studies, future research directions, as well as suggestions for ways to better assist East Asian internationals are also discussed.