Causes of Depression Among International Students in Canada

This essay investigates the growing concern of depression among international students in Canada. It begins by outlining the research question and thesis, exploring the current trends in international student enrollment and the transition to a new mental health environment. The essay delves into the reasons behind depression, including financial issues, cultural adjustment, loneliness, and communication challenges. The results section highlights rising enrollment figures and the prevalence of mental health issues among students. The discussion section suggests potential solutions such as psychological screening, language programs, and counseling services. The essay acknowledges limitations, such as the time constraints and data availability, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of mental health care and counseling programs within universities to address this critical issue. References from various researchers and organizations support the findings and arguments presented.

Running head: DEPRESSION AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN CANADA
DEPRESSION AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN CANADA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................2
1.1 Research Question.................................................................................................................2
1.2 Research Thesis.....................................................................................................................3
2. Literature Review and Concepts..............................................................................................3
2.1 Current trends of International Students in Canada...............................................................3
2.2 Mental Health Transition.......................................................................................................4
2.3 Reasons for Depression of International Students in Canada................................................4
3. Results and Findings................................................................................................................4
4. Discussions and Counterargument...........................................................................................5
5. Problems...................................................................................................................................6
6. Conclusion................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

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1. Introduction
Joyce Meyer quoted that it is a disappointment that acts as the beginning of the
depression. If disappointment remains within our soul, then it will lead to discouragement, which
in turn will lead to depression. Depression is a major social issue and is considered a mental
health problem. According to the World Health Organization (2017), depression happens to be
the second most significant factor contributing to disability. The students and the other middle
age group are the primary sufferers. There should be enough awareness and information about
the condition in order to help to improve the condition in the near future. The research paper
deals with the depression issue among international students in Canada.
1.1 Research Question
The purpose of this research is to acquire more information on rising depression among
international students and to apply that knowledge in solving the issue. The research questions
are as follows:
RQ1: What is the current trend of international students in Canada?
RQ2: What is the comparison between the mental health condition of the students when they go
abroad to study and when they continue studying abroad for a long time?
RQ3: What is the reason for a change in the mental attitude and mental health of international
students while studying abroad?
RQ4: How can depression prevent international students?

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1.2 Research Thesis
In the modern era, disappointment and discouragement is a common issue. The
expectation level of human beings has increased with increasing globalization and
modernization. The aforesaid topic is of high importance because of the following reasons –
i. As stated by Ammigand et al. (2019), the number of cases of depression, especially in
terms of students, is increasing. Measuring the level of depression and disorders
across different cultures is not an easy task.
ii. In the Canadian perspective, there has been a rise in the number of international
students who have enrolled in the post-secondary institutions of Canada. International
students generally stay away from their closed ones and suffer from depression.
iii. There are a number of issues that lead to depression. If people do not have proper
knowledge and information about the causes of depression, it will become
challenging to manage depression. It is necessary that people are aware of the reasons
and resolution of this issue.
2. Literature Review and Concepts
2.1 Current trends of International Students in Canada
As stated by Esses et al. (2018), foreign student enrolment in Canada is taking big jumps
one after another every year. The top 10 countries that enroll in Canada are India, China, South
Korea, France, Vietnam, the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, Iran, and Japan. The number of
enrollment is expected to quadruple in the coming future. It must be noted that, according to the
World Health Organization, India, China, and the United States are among the topmost depressed
countries in the world.

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2.2 Mental Health Transition
Students desire to study abroad in order to get a higher qualification and exposure to
certain specific international programs. A research paper of Guo & Guo (2017) states that
although the international students feel happy about the education environment and the exposure
yet, they face a number of issues related to financing, homestay issues, currency fluctuations,
immigration, institutional support and so on. All these factors disappoint and discourage students
from learning, making them feel depressed. Students who receive financial aid tend to be
mentally fit, whereas students who lack the support and are studying on the basis of scholarships
tend to suffer in time of economic crisis.
2.3 Reasons for Depression of International Students in Canada
International students encounter social loneliness and a loss of communication with their
loved ones. As stated by Khanal & Gaulee (2019), cultural sensitivity is one of the much-
discussed topics in this scenario. Adapting to an almost new culture is difficult and tiresome. It
becomes difficult for the students to locate homes, pay rent, and to understand the local
language. It also becomes difficult for them to run their household and study at the same time.
Communication issues like an expression of opinions, making friends, and working with
diversified cultural groups in group assignments are also some reasons contributing to
depression. Apart from these rising costs and financial issues are also some of the contributing
reasons.
3. Results and Findings
It has been observed that the number of international students’ enrolment rose by 16.25%
in 2018. There has been an increase in the number of international students in Canada up to more

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than 572415 in 2018 as compared to 492545 in the previous year. It is expected that Canada will
be having millions of international students by the 2022 end. Canadian statistics show that there
are around 805000 students enrolled in Canada from international areas (ICEF, 2020). India
contributes about 30.16% of the total international enrolments and China, approximately
24.98%. Around 91.8% of the people in China suffer from depression.
It has been observed that all the participants of the research claimed that the professors
were nice and approachable, but they faced difficulties in communicating with them. Studies also
show isolation from classmates (Robinson, 2019). A student in the second year suffers from
more anxiety and depression than a student in the first year.
As per Thomson and Esses (2016), the residents generally tend to pick the other residents
while selecting teams rather than picking up people from abroad. As per Anderson (2018), the
Ontario University survey states that there has been an increase of around 50 anxiety and a 47 %
increase in depression as well as suicides. According to The Globe and Mail, 1/5th of the
Canadian post-secondary student now suffer from depression (Johnstone & Lee, 2017). Findings
also suggest that most of the students did not feel that their health is in good condition, and more
than 5% of the women stated that they experienced sexual touching and harassment. Although
around 51% of Canadian students try to settle in Canada after graduation yet, they claim that it
becomes impossible as it is very difficult to access the labor market in Canada.
4. Discussions and Counterargument
Research suggests that depression issues can be handled through proper psychological
screening. It is advisable that students learn about the destination country’s language basics for
communication purposes. All the colleges must have an English program for supporting

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language proficiency. Ethnocentrism must be removed by the top administration and the students
must convey their culture to the host society proudly. The psychological stress and loneliness
must be supported efficiently by academic counselors. Monthly counseling programs will help in
assessing the risk of depression in the students, and corrective actions can be taken accordingly.
The current international education strategy by Canada focuses on increasing efficiency in more
than two or more languages for all the students and increasing intercultural knowledge for
greater participation in studies and work.
5. Problems
i. The limited-time period is a major problem in analyzing a global issue.
ii. Availability and accessibility of resources is also an issue with analysis.
iii. The feedbacks and the answers from the students can be misleading if they do not
answer properly to the questionnaires.
iv. Getting interview dates from counselors and teachers also becomes an issue.
The research, however, has been planned in the most appropriate way to get the best result
and to complete the analysis in the right way.
6. Conclusion
Using the qualitative research methods, it has been analyzed that there are several causes
that lead to depression in international students in Canada. Although mental health is a serious
issue, yet the reasons contributing to these issues can be resolved with efforts. In order to
maintain generalization, the research has tried to compare the condition of all the students
coming to Canada. The findings suggest that the enrollment level is expected to boom further in

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the future; however, at the same time, the depression issues will boom if not given proper care.
The contributing countries are also affected by depression, and hence the universities must have
proper mental health care and counseling program to ensure the reduction of the issue in the
coming future.

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References
Ammigand, R., Drexlerd, M. L., Williamsonb, A. A., & Guerra, N. G. (2019). Prevalence and
correlates of depressive symptoms among international students: Implications for
university support offices. Journal of International Students 2019 Vol 9 Issue 1, 9(1),
129-148.
Anderson, T. (2018, February). International and refugee university students in Canada: Trends,
barriers, and the future. In 2018 Conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of
Education.
Esses, V., Sutter, A., Ortiz, A., Luo, N., Cui, J., & Deacon, L. (2018). Retaining international
students in canada post-graduation: Understanding the motivations and drivers of the
decision to stay. CBIE Research in Brief, 8.
Guo, Y., & Guo, S. (2017). Internationalization of Canadian higher education: Discrepancies
between policies and international student experiences. Studies in Higher Education,
42(5), 851-868.
ICEF. (2020). Canada’s foreign student enrolment took another big jump in 2018. Retrieved 19
March 2020, from https://monitor.icef.com/2019/02/canadas-foreign-student-enrolment-
took-another-big-jump-2018/
Johnstone, M., & Lee, E. (2017). Canada and the Global Rush for International Students:
Reifying a Neo-Imperial Order of Western Dominance in the Knowledge Economy Era.
Critical Sociology, 43(7-8), 1063-1078.

9DEPRESSION AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN CANADA
Khanal, J., & Gaulee, U. (2019). Challenges of International Students from Predeparture to Post-
Study: A Literature Review. Journal of International Students, 9(2), 560-581.
Robinson, J. (2019). A Socio-ecological Approach to Measure Progress for Ontario’s Transition
to a Green Economy: The Use of the Happy Planet Index.
Thomson, C., & Esses, V. M. (2016). Helping the transition: Mentorship to support international
students in Canada. Journal of International Students, 6(4), 873-886.
World Health Organization. (2017). Depression and other common mental disorders: global
health estimates (No. WHO/MSD/MER/2017.2). World Health Organization.