Suicidal Ideation Among International Students: The Role of Cultural, Academic, and Interpersonal Factors

Abstract

We examined two structural equation models of international students’ suicidal ideation using data from 595 international students in two public universities in the United States. The models represented competing hypotheses about the relationships among discrimination, cross-cultural loss, academic distress, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation. The findings indicated there were direct, positive links between discrimination, cross-cultural loss, and academic distress to perceived burdensomeness; a direct, positive link between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation; and indirect, positive links between discrimination, cross-cultural loss, and academic distress to suicidal ideation via perceived burdensomeness. The only predictors that related to thwarted belongingness were cross-cultural loss and academic distress, and there were no indirect links to suicidal ideation via thwarted belongingness. In fact, with all other variables in the model, thwarted belongingness was unrelated to suicidal ideation. Finally, academic distress was directly related to suicidal ideation. We discuss implications of the findings.

Therapist and counseling center effects on international students’ counseling outcome: A mixed methods study.

“…ISCs at colleges across the United States face unique mental health challenges associated with adjustment issues and international status (Kawamoto et al, 2018; Pérez-Rojas et al, in press) that call for nuanced and culturally-informed psychological care. Using a convergent mixed methods design, this is the first study to quantitatively and qualitatively explore the role therapists and counseling centers play in ISCs’ therapy outcomes.…”

“…These issues have been found to be associated with poor psychological well-being among international students (Wei, Liao, et al, 2012 ). Recent data across the United States suggest that international students experience greater distress in social anxiety and academic distress compared to domestic students (Kawamoto et al, 2018) and that academic distress is directly and indirectly associated with their suicidal ideation (Pérez-Rojas et al, in press).…”

Suicide-related Thoughts and Behaviors among International Students

“…The low grades make them think they have disappointed their parents, which parents work hard to earn money and cost an amount of money sending them to another country for studying and developing. Then the result is getting low grades, even failing the courses, causing those students upset and distress, which is a common phenomenon among those Asian IS (Pérez-Rojas et al, 2021;Servaty-Seib et al, 2016).…”

“…The most common factor among these studies is belongingness, whether perceived by family, friends, campus or the people around them. Most of these studies revealed that IS who perceived less belongingness would have higher depression and suicidal ideation (Wang et al, 2013;Servaty-Seib et al, 2016;Zvolensky et al, 2016;Nguyen et al, 2019;Taliaferro et al, 2019;Dovchin, 2020;Goodwill & Zhou, 2020;Pérez-Rojas et al, 2021).…”

Suicide prevention for international students: a scoping review protocol

“…Postsecondary international students, referred to as international students for the remainder of this protocol, are such a group and make up a significant proportion of the student body in many countries 10. Although studying in another country may afford a variety of opportunities,11 international students face a unique set of stressors (eg, financial, language, cultural, discrimination, etc)12–14 that can negatively impact mental health,14 increase suicidal ideation7 15 16 and even lead to death by suicide 17 18. Complicating matters, international students can face specific barriers such as lower mental health literacy and help-seeking intentions that can reduce engagement with support services, especially for suicidal ideation 8 19.…”