International Students' Mental Health Issues in Australia Portfolio

This portfolio addresses the mental health issues faced by international students in Australia, specifically focusing on acculturative stress. The project begins with a description of the problem, highlighting factors such as immigration, language barriers, and cultural differences that impact students' mental well-being, leading to stress, anxiety, and potential academic difficulties. An annotated bibliography is then presented, analyzing seven research articles and materials related to international student mental health and acculturative stress. Each annotation includes the purpose of the material, its strengths and limitations, and a discussion of any underlying theories or ideologies. The resources cover topics such as the development of acculturation scales, the impact of cultural factors on stress, group psychological interventions, the role of social support, and the interplay of acculturative stress and acculturation modes. The analysis of these resources helps to provide a detailed understanding of the challenges faced by international students and the strategies to address them.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Description of the Issue:
Mental health refers to the well- being of the mental conditions and the abilities of coping
to the changes taking place in the surroundings. The mental, health refers to the potential of the
students and the capabilities of the same. It is observed that the mental conditions of the students
especially the international students are often affected. In case of the international students, there
are a number of factors which impact upon the mental health of the students (Sleeman, Lang, &
Lemon, 2016). The factor of immigrating to a distant and complete strange land is often very
disturbing for the students. There are language barriers, cultural differences and differences in
the perspective in a strange land. According to a number of researchers the aspects or factor of
immigrating to a different land and the factors of cultural differences, and the differences in the
food habits are often very disturbing for the students and it impacts upon the mental wellness of
the same (Lee, & Ciftci, 2014). These therefore, result into lack of motivation, drop in the
percentage of attendance and a significant drop in the scores in the exams, a stressful
environment and a continuous worry and the like. This also gradually leads towards depression
and anxiety among the students. Therefore, there are a number of factors and mental challenges
that are approached and experienced by the international students, and among these the factor if
stress is one of the most dominant one (Akhtar, & Kröner-Herwig, 2015).
In the following portfolio, the factor of Acculturative stress will be discussed. In the
following an annotated bibliography is presented which discusses about the factors and
experiences of acculturative stress among the international student of Australia.

2INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Annotated Bibliography:
Khawaja, N. G., Moisuc, O., & Ramirez, E. (2014). Developing an acculturation and
resilience scale for use with culturally and linguistically diverse
populations. Australian Psychologist, 49(3), 171-180.
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1111/ap.12052
Purpose of the Material:
In the recent times Australia has become one of the most important hub for education,
attracting students from all over the world. While it has contributed in the diversity and the
richness of the cultural aspects of the country, at the same time, it has contributed in the
increasing mental illnesses among the students, and it is especially visible among the
international students of the country. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to discuss about the
factors of culture contributing in the acculturative stress among the students.
Strengths and Limitations:
The strengths of the article is that it includes a detailed description of the various cultural
factors contributing in the development of the acculturative stress behavior among the students.
However, the study has failed to identify the recommending factors that can be helpful for the
students to cope up with the cultural changes.

3INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Discussion:
The number of international students in the country is potentially increasing, and
according to the researchers, so is the issues with mental wellness. The researchers have opined
that the cultural shock and the cultural gap are the prime factors contributing to such a situation.
Yakunina, E. S., Weigold, I. K., & Weigold, A. (2013). Personal growth initiative:
Relations with acculturative stress and international student
adjustment. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice,
Consultation, 2(1), 62.
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030888
Purpose of the Material:
The considered study has shown that there is a potential rise in the quantity of the
international students in the country, and the rise in the number of international students are
essentially visible in the higher studies. The current study has identified a particular educational
institutions of the country and has aimed to understand and identify the factors which are
contributing in the increased situations of stress.
Strengths and Limitations:
The paper has rightly identified the stress factors and has propounded upon the symptoms
of stress, but, it has failed to identify the emic aspects, origins and the occurrences of such
symptoms.

4INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Discussion:
According to the researchers the concepts of stress and the management of stress among
the international students is an aspects which had remained unexplored for a longer period of
time. The degradation of scores and the changes in the behavioral patterns of the students have
not been given enough attention, and these are the aspects and areas which have been tried to be
captured in the considered article.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2014). A group psychological intervention to
enhance the coping and acculturation of international students. Advances in Mental
Health, 12(2), 110-124.
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1080/18374905.2014.11081889
Purpose of the Materials:
The purpose of the work is to understand the coping behaviors and the adjustments made
by the students.
Strengths and Limitations:
Includes a detailed analysis with strategic questions. However, it only included a
psychological approach.

5INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Discussion:
There are shortage in the aids of the psychological interventions. It focuses on the
resilience, strengths, transitions, and adjustments made by the international students. A detailed
interview was included which helped in understanding the ability of the students.
Sullivan, C., & Kashubeck-West, S. (2015). The interplay of international students’
acculturative stress, social support, and acculturation modes. Journal of
International Students, 5(1), 1-11.
Visual Image or URL not available.
Purpose of the Materials:
The presented study has a quantitative approach which has included various socio-
demographic factors. The purpose of the study was to develop an understanding of the socio-
demographic factors that contributed in the stressful situations.
Strengths and Limitations:
Since it had a quantitative approach, therefore, the amount of data that had been recorded
by the researchers, is enough to provide a complete idea of the situation of the international
students in the country, and since enough numbers of students had provided similar kind of
replies, therefore, it can be claimed that the research is valid. However, the research has not
provided any recommendation that can be helpful for the students.

6INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Discussion:
The questionnaire that had been developed and included by the researchers included only
the demographic factors, and upon questioning, many other factors had developed. The research
claimed that the international students of the country experience more stressful situations than
the students of other countries.
Lashari, S. A. (2019). Home Away from Home-The Role of Social Support for
International Students’ Adjustment. Malaysian Journal of Learning and
Instruction, 15(2), 33-54.
Visual Image:

7INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Purpose of the Materials:
Over the years and with the initiation of globalization, internationalization, there is an
increase in the numbers of international students in the country, and along with that, there is also
a rise in the numbers of mental illnesses. According to the researchers, there is an increase in the
numbers of students approaching the psychiatrists or counsellor, and the aim of the study is to
understand the contributing factors behind this.
Strengths and Limitations:
This particular article is been kept brief and concise by the researchers, and the focus are
is mentioned in detail. However, te article fails to identify all the factors that contribute to such a
situation.
Discussion:
The article has concluded that the prime factor is the behavioral aspects of those who are
residing in the country. The researchers have pointed out that the behavioral experiences which
the students of the distant land receive from the people of the country, are the prime reason
contributing to such stressful situations.
Bertram, D. M., Poulakis, M., Elsasser, B. S., & Kumar, E. (2014). Social support
and acculturation in Chinese international students. Journal of Multicultural
counseling and development, 42(2), 107-124.
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1912.2014.00048.x

8INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Purpose of the Material:
The articles aims at understanding the interplay between the factors of acculturation and
the aspects and impacts of cultural factor upon the international students. The research has stated
that the cultural factors are the prime reasons for the generation of stress among the international
students.
Strengths and Limitations:
The strength of the article is that it reviewed the acculturation modes and the factors of
assimilation and integration and have explained the contribution of each of these factors in
creating a stressful situation. However, the work does not propose any validity or reliability test
which is important considering the quantitative approaches of the study.
Discussion:
The considered article has rightly identified the factors of modes of acculturation
contributing to the stressful behavior practiced by the international students of the country. Also
the article has identified that social support and the modes of integration among the students
contribute in the stressful behavior of the international students of the country.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of
international students. International Journal of intercultural relations, 35(6), 699-
713.
URL:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2011.08.004

9INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Purpose of the Materials:
The aim of the study was to understand the relation between the factors of immigration
and the modes of acculturation.
Strengths and Limitations:
The mixed method used in the study provides a holistic approach to the study. However,
the research and the analysis of the research is very narrow hence the application is very limited.
Discussion:
The study discussed about the factors that contribute to the acculturation situations and
how the same factors contribute in creating stressful situations among the students. Since the
research involved both the qualitative and the quantitative approaches therefore, the study
incorporated the equation model to understand and analyze the data.

10INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
References:
Akhtar, M., & Kröner-Herwig, B. (2015). Acculturative stress among international students in
context of socio-demographic variables and coping styles. Current psychology, 34(4),
803-815.
Bertram, D. M., Poulakis, M., Elsasser, B. S., & Kumar, E. (2014). Social support and
acculturation in Chinese international students. Journal of Multicultural counseling and
development, 42(2), 107-124.
Khawaja, N. G., Moisuc, O., & Ramirez, E. (2014). Developing an acculturation and resilience
scale for use with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. Australian
Psychologist, 49(3), 171-180.
Lashari, S. A. (2019). Home Away from Home-The Role of Social Support for International
Students’ Adjustment. Malaysian Journal of Learning and Instruction, 15(2), 33-54.
Lee, J. Y., & Ciftci, A. (2014). Asian international students’ socio-cultural adaptation: Influence
of multicultural personality, assertiveness, academic self-efficacy, and social
support. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 38, 97-105.
Sleeman, J., Lang, C., & Lemon, N. (2016). Social media challenges and affordances for
international students: Bridges, boundaries, and hybrid spaces. Journal of Studies in
International Education, 20(5), 391-415.
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2011). A review of the acculturation experiences of
international students. International Journal of intercultural relations, 35(6), 699-713.

11INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
Smith, R. A., & Khawaja, N. G. (2014). A group psychological intervention to enhance the
coping and acculturation of international students. Advances in Mental Health, 12(2),
110-124.
Sullivan, C., & Kashubeck-West, S. (2015). The interplay of international students’ acculturative
stress, social support, and acculturation modes. Journal of International Students, 5(1), 1-
11.
Yakunina, E. S., Weigold, I. K., & Weigold, A. (2013). Personal growth initiative: Relations
with acculturative stress and international student adjustment. International Perspectives
in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 2(1), 62.