Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Roles of social support on acculturative stress of Asian international students

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study explored the influence of social support on levels of acculturation and acculturative stress of Asian international students. The participants were 220 Asian international students who are studying in the U.S. For this aim, multiple regression analyses were conducted by using Hayes’s (2013) PROCESS tool. The results of this study reported that colleges’ support and social support in the U.S. were partial mediators, but social support from home country was not a mediator on the relation between levels of acculturation and acculturative stress of Asian international students. In conclusion, the present study provided implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  • Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 46, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/026999497378467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cao, C., & Meng, Q. (2019).Mapping the Paths from Language Proficiency to Adaptation for Chinese Students in a Non-English-Speaking Country: An Integrative Model of Mediation.Current Psychology, 38(6), 1564–1575.

  • Cao, C., Zhu, C., & Meng, Q. (2018). Chinese International Students’ Coping Strategies, Social Support Resources in Response to Academic Stressors: Does Heritage Culture or Host Context Matter? Current Psychology, 37(140), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-018-9929-0

  • Choy, Y., & Alon, Z. (2018). The Comprehensive Mental Health Treatment of Chinese International Students: A Case Report. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 33(1), 1–20.

  • Dunkley, D. M., Sanislow, C. A., Grilo, C. M., et al. (2006). Perfectionism and depressive symptoms 3 years later; negative social interactions, coping, and perceived social support as mediators. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 47, 106–115.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, M., & O’Brien, K. (2009). Psychological health and meaning in life: Stress, social support, and religious coping in Latina/Latino immigrants. Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 31(2), 204–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falavarjani, M. F., Yeh, C. J., & Brouwers, S. A. (2020). Exploring the Effects of Acculturative Stress and Social Support on the Acculturation-Depression Relationship in Two Country of Similar Social Status. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 21(2), 509–528

  • Fang, H. (2013). The Impact of Social Support on the Relation between Stress from Daily Life Issues and Depression among East Asian International Students in the United States (Doctoral dissertation). Pennsylvania, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.

  • Franco, M., Hsiao, Y. S., Gnilka, P. B., & Ashby, J. S. (2019). Acculturative stress, social support, and career outcome expectations among international students. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 19(2),275–291.

  • Franco, M., Yi-Shi, H., Gnilka, P. B. (2019). Acculturative stress, social support, and career outcome expectations among international students. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 19(2),275–291.

  • Gan, J., & Forbes-Mewett, H. (2019). International Student Migration and Mental Health, Forbes Mewett, H. (Ed.). Vulnerability in a Mobile World, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, 115–134

  • Hayes, A. F. (2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis. New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang, S. L., & Mussap, A. J. (2018). Maladaptive perfectionism, acculturative stress and depression in Asian international university students. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 28(2), 185–196

  • Kim, P. Y. (2010). The moderating Role of Social Support on the Stress-Distress Relation among Asian International Students: A Test of the Matching Hypothesis (Doctoral dissertation). Indiana IN: University of Notre Dame.

  • Kim, K., Stokowski, S., Lo, W. J., & Han, J. (2022). Analyzing International Students’ Social Support Through Intercollegiate Sport Team Identification. Journal of International Students, 13(1), 59–78.

  • Lashari, S. A., Awang-Hashim, R., Lashari, T. A., & Kaur, A. (2023). Acculturation stress and social support for international students’ adjustment in Malaysia: does language proficiency matter? Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 15(2), 496–508

  • Le, T. K. T. (2023). Dealing with acculturative stress: How international students’ personality traits help? Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education, 14(5A), 20–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. S., Koeske, G. F., & Sales, E. (2004). Social support buffering of acculturative stress: A study of mental health symptoms among korean international students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 28, 399–414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, S., He, L., Wei, M., Du, Y., & Cheng, D. (2022). Depression and anxiety from acculturative stress: Maladaptive perfectionism as a mediator and mindfulness as a moderator. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 13(2), 207–216

  • Liu, T., Sato, Y., & Breaden, J. (2023). Factors influencing international students’ trajectories: a comparative study of Chinese students in Japan and Australia. International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, 25(1), 23–39.

  • Lu, L. (1990). Adaptation to british universities: Homesickness and mental health of chinese students. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 3, 225–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, K., Pitner, R., Sakamoto, I., & Park, H. Y. (2020). Challenges in Acculturation among International Students from Asian Collectivist Cultures. Higher Education Studies, 10(3),34–43.

  • Mallinckrodt, B., & Leong, F. T. (1992). International graduate students, stress, and social support. Journal of College Student Development, 33(1), 71–78.

  • Martirosyan, N. M., Bustamante, R. M., & Saxon, D. P. (2019). Academic and social support services for International Students: Current Practices. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 172–191. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v9i1.2759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maundeni, T. (2001). The role of social networks in the adjustment of african students to british society: Student’s perceptions. Race Ethnicity and Education, 4, 253–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Misra, R., Crist, M., & Burant, C. J. (2003). Relationship among life stress, social support, academic stressors, and reactions to stressors of international students in the United States. International Journal of Stress Management, 10(2), 137–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, S. L., Greenwood, A. K., & Guglielmi, M. C. (2007). Utilization of counseling services: Comparing international and U.S. college students. Journal of College Counseling, 10,117–129. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2007.tb00012.x

  • Mori, S. (2000). Addressing the mental health concerns of international students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 78, 137–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pepanyan, M., Meacham, S., & Logan, S. (2019). International students’ alienation in a U.S. higher education institution, Journal for Multicultural Education, 13(2), 122–139.

  • Pinamang, B. N., Bobie-Nimako, O., Peprah, W. K., Osei, S. A., & Antwi, F. B., Nimako, N. O., & Agyenim-Boateng, E. (2021). Social Support, Psychological Adjustment, Acculturative stress, and International Students. International Journal of Nursing, 11(1), 1–7.

  • Preacher, K. J., & Kelley, K. (2011). Effect size measures for mediation models: Quantitative strategies for communicating indirect effects. Psychological Methods, 16(2), 93–115.

  • Ra, Y. (2014). The Impact of Social Support and Coping on Acculturation and Acculturative Stress among East Asian International Students. (Doctoral dissertation). Pennsylvania, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.

  • Sandhu, D. S., & Asrabadi, B. R. (1994). Development of an acculturative stress scale for international students: Preliminary findings. Psychological Reports, 75, 435–448.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suinn, R. M., Rickard-Figueroa, K., Lew, S., et al. (1987). The Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale: An initial report. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 47, 401–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, S., Hoyt, W. T., Brockberg, D., et al. (2016). Acculturation and enculturation as predictors of psychological help-seeking attitudes (HSAs) among racial and ethnic minorities: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63, 617–632.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Surdam, J. C., & Collins, J. R. (1984). Adaptation of international students: A cause for concern. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 240–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Talwar, P., Rethinasamy, S., Abd Ghani, K., Tan, K. W., & Mat Yusoff, N. F. (2022). Sociodemographic determinants of acculturation stress among International University students. EDUCATUM Journal of Social Sciences, 8(1), 23–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trice, A. G. (2004). Mixing it up: International graduate students’ social interactions with american students. Journal of College Student Development, 45(6), 671–687. https://doi.org/10.1353/csd.2004.0074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, B., & Clum, G. A. (1995). Measures of life stress and social support specific to an asian student population. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 17, 51–67. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02229203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeh, C. J., & Inose, M. (2003). International students’ reported english fluency, social support satisfaction, and social connectedness as predictors of acculturative stress. Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 16, 15–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yeo, H. J. T., Mendenhall, R., Harwood, S. A., et al. (2019). Asian international student and asian american student: Mistaken identity and racial microaggressions. Journal of International Students, 9(1), 39–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, C., Kuh, G. D., & Carini, R. M. (2005). A comparison of international student and american student engagement in effective educational practices. Journal of Higher Education, 76(2), 209–231. https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2005.0018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, K., Lenz, T., & Fang, L. (2023). Understanding Chinese international students’ perception of cultural conflicts in Canada: Through the case of cannabis use. Culture & Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X231169287

Download references

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Counseling Psychology & Social Welfare, Handong Global University, Pohang, South Korea

    Young-An Ra

Authors
  1. Young-An Ra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Young-An Ra.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Informed consent

Informed consents were obtained from all participants.

Ethics approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Ethics Committee of Penn State University.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ra, YA. Roles of social support on acculturative stress of Asian international students. Curr Psychol 43, 3882–3888 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04696-w

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04696-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation