Social support and psychological distress among international students in China
The mediating role of sense of belonging
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14689618 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yang Liu (0000-0003-1220-7044, University of Kentucky), Danni Liao (0000-0002-0719-4229, University of Kentucky, corresponding author), Alexander English (0000-0002-0142-146X, University of Kentucky) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 1-16 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03075079.2025.2566934 |
| OpenAlex | W4414759237 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Previous studies have pinpointed that either the quantity or the quality of social support from local people and sojourners plays a pivotal role in enhancing international students’ sense of belonging and reducing their psychological distress while studying abroad. Instead of examining support quantity and quality separately, we integrated them into one study and highlighted international students’ sense of belonging as a key mechanism, offering a more nuanced understanding of how social support from local people and sojourners operated through sense of belonging to influence international students’ psychological distress. Focusing on international students in China, we conducted a cross-sectional survey (N = 232) in 2023 to examine whether social support from the Chinese and sojourners relates to international students’ psychological distress through the mediating role of sense of belonging and the potential interaction effect between support quantity and quality on this sense. The results revealed that both the quantity of socioemotional support and the quality of social support from sojourners were positively associated with international students’ sense of belonging, which in turn negatively impacted their psychological distress. Although instrumental support from the Chinese did not indirectly impact psychological distress through sense of belonging, it directly and negatively affected international students’ psychological distress. However, there was no significant interaction effect between support quantity and quality on sense of belonging. This study contributes to social support research by examining counter-paradigmatic international student mobility to a critical yet under-researched non-Western context and deepening understanding of support quality and sense of belonging within it
Distress · Emotional support · Higher education · Psychological distress · Sense of community · Social support · Cultural Differences and Values · International Student and Expatriate Challenges · Resilience and Mental Health
Social Integration, Social Networks, and Health
Communicating Effectively with the Chinese
Social Support and Demographic Correlates of Acculturative Stress in International Students
Exploring the Experiences of International Students in China
Belonging
The General Belongingness Scale (GBS)
Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress
A systematic review of predictors of international students’ cross-cultural adjustment in China
A qualitative case study of international doctorate students’ perceptions of higher education quality in China
The Association Between Social Connectedness and Psychological Well‐Being Among International Students
The Routledge Companion to Migration, Communication, and Politics
Common Method Bias
Emotional and instrumental support provision interact to predict well-being
Perceived Social Support among International Students at a U.S. University
International students’ experiences in China
Social support for international students who faced emotional challenges midst Wuhan's 76-day lockdown during early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic
Social support and cultural distance
International students' culture learning and cultural adaptation in China
International students’ dynamics of belonging in a Shanghai university
College Students’ Sense of Belonging
African Students’ Satisfaction in China
Toward an explanation of cultural differences in in-group favoritism
Intergroup Bias
Pursuing doctoral research in an emerging knowledge hub
Friendship matters
The Effects of Educational Service Quality and Socio-Cultural Adaptation Difficulties on International Students' Higher Education Satisfaction
Helpful, Supportive and Sensitive
Social Support Benefits Psychological Adjustment of International Students
The Construction and Validation of a Social Support Measure for Sojourners
| Highly cited | No |
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