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Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The acculturation challenge: A longitudinal investigation of acculturative stress and mental health of Chinese international students in Australia
Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol.374, pp.477-485
2025
PMID: 39832644
Abstract
The Australian university sector had almost one million international students in 2024. This population faces significant mental health challenges that affect their wellbeing and academic success, but these issues have received minimal empirical attention. Past research reports that international students experience acculturative stress due to language barriers, lack of social support, and discrimination, which contribute to poor mental health. Current evidence lacks insight into the progression of acculturative stress over time. To address this gap, this study conducted a longitudinal investigation of the mental health profiles of 140 Chinese international tertiary students in Australia and 84 Chinese tertiary students in China (Mage = 22.4, SD = 2.7). Participants in Australia were assessed in 2023 after their arrival (T1) and then five months later (T2). Contrary to expectations, the groups did not differ on standardised measures of distress, loneliness, wellbeing, social support, and resilience. However, Chinese students reported greater acculturative stress, as measured by the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS), at T2 than at T1. Participants reported that the most significant challenge in adapting to life in Australia were language barriers and communication difficulties (84.3 %), which were rated more frequently than the academic demands of university (55.0 %). Potential methodological limitations aside, the results suggest that Chinese students may benefit from resources, supports, and interventions that target specific areas of acculturative stress, particularly in relation to language proficiency, to optimise their health and study.
Details
- Title
- The acculturation challenge: A longitudinal investigation of acculturative stress and mental health of Chinese international students in Australia
- Authors
- Weiyang Xiong (Corresponding Author) - Flinders UniversityBlake Quinney - Flinders UniversityDaniel L King - Flinders UniversityKathina Ali - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - PsychologyMarcela Radunz - Flinders UniversityYufang Zhao - Southwest UniversityMike Kyrios - Flinders UniversityDaniel B Fassnacht - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Psychology
- Publication details
- Journal of Affective Disorders, Vol.374, pp.477-485
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.082
- ISSN
- 1573-2517; 0165-0327
- PMID
- 39832644
- Copyright note
- © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The datasets generated or analysed during the current study are available upon request.
- Grants
- Measuring wellbeing and mental health of Chinese international students: A longitudinal study, 0980028423, Australia Education Management Group
- Organisation Unit
- School of Health - Psychology
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991096241302621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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- Clinical Neurology
- Psychiatry
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