These challenges are linked to triple-acculturative stress, which results from adapting to a new culture, a new academic environment and new interpersonal and supervisory relationships all at once.
These transitions can affect students’ mental health in ways that aren’t always visible. For Idrissa Beogo, associate professor at the School of Nursing in uOttawa’s Faculty of Health Sciences, understanding what international students go through after arrival is vital to help tailor supports to their needs and promote equity.
“There’s a lot of pain behind it that we don’t see,” he says.
Work that goes well beyond arrival
According to Beogo, studying in another country is “an adventure fraught with uncertainty.”
When students arrive, they usually have information on their program and their university, but they also need to learn how to get their bearings in a new environment. Different teaching methods, languages, weather, transportation and social norms can lead to a tougher-than-expected transition. On top of that, financial pressures and family responsibilities can create higher expectations of success.
Students have to adapt in more than just the classroom. They also need to forge new relationships and find their place in a community potentially far from the friends, colleagues and family support that had up to this point been key features of life back home.
“University life isn’t just about going to class and writing exams. There’s also a social aspect, and that’s always an important component of mental health.”
Idrissa Beogo
— Professor, School of Nursing
Some students find cultural expectations can shape how they talk about their struggles or what they do to seek help. Others don’t know what services are available, where to find them or whether they factor in students’ language, culture and experiences.
As part of a project on international students’ mental health (article in French), Beogo and Professor Jean Ramdé of Université Laval convened a series of workshops with Francophone international students at uOttawa (video in French) and the University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean. Their goal was to get a clearer picture of the challenges, needs and complex realities shaping these students’ experiences with integration and adaptation.
The discussions that took place brought to light the struggles some students are facing alone, including isolation and uncertainty about what resources to turn to.
How belonging supports student well-being
Feeling like you belong can be key in helping you adapt to a new environment. Beogo’s experience as a student in Taiwan informed how he thinks about the topic. Although the cultural environment was very different, he says he didn’t get the feelings of isolation some international students report because his program offered peer support, regular activities and cultural exchanges.
This experience showed him the importance of building support into the environment instead of leaving students to find it themselves.
For Beogo, part of health equity is recognizing that people’s needs can vary according to their language, culture, social conditions and experiences. Offering everyone the same service doesn’t guarantee fair access or outcomes.
Language issues provide a good example of that. It’s not enough for mental health services to be available — students also need to feel heard, understood, safe and supported. Otherwise, they might be less willing to seek out or use the supports on offer.
Research can help universities get a better understanding of these realities. By listening to students and working with student support services, research teams can identify gaps and help upgrade programs and services.
Helping students thrive after they arrive
Beogo’s advice for students experiencing stress, isolation or adjustment issues is to ask for help. Professors might not always be the best place to get answers on specific issues, but they can provide a listening ear and referrals to the right resources.
“Don’t be shy. There’s no shame in asking for help. Those services are there for students,” he says.
Knowing support is out there can make it easier for students to take the first step. And if a service doesn’t meet their needs, sharing feedback on their experience can help universities make appropriate adjustments.
For universities, welcoming international students is a process that doesn’t end once they’ve arrived. Supporting their well-being means continuing to listen to them, learn from their experiences and create environments where they can build relationships, take part in university life, find support and develop a sense of belonging.
As Beogo says, “It’s definitely hard, but it’s doable.”