The study highlights growing concerns about mental health among international students in the United States

The study highlights growing concerns about mental health among international students in the United States

Although international students on U.S. campuses face significant mental health challenges, national patterns of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and mental health service use among this group remain poorly understood. To fill this gap, a recently published inGeneral Psychiatryexamined national trends in clinically significant mental health problems and the corresponding use of mental health services by international students in higher education between 2015 and 2024.

This study examined data from 44,560 international students collected each year between 2015 and 2024. The information comes from the Healthy Minds Study (HMS), a large survey that collects information about student mental health at over 600 U.S. colleges and universities.

The results show a sharp increase in psychological distress: the prevalence of anxiety rose from 20% to 36%, depression from 20% to 35% and suicidal ideation from 5% to 10%. The proportion of students who received advice, however, increased only slightly from 5% to 8%.

These results demonstrate a growing gap between increasing psychological needs and access to medical care. International students face unique challenges that are often overlooked by traditional campus services.”

Dr. Yusen Zhai, lead author, University of Florida

The study attributes these trends to several stressors: academic pressure, financial hardship, cultural adjustment and isolation. Female students reported greater increases in anxiety and depression than their male peers, who were less likely to seek help - reflecting the ongoing stigma surrounding mental health in many cultures. The study also identified international students of different age groups who reported increases in anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Interestingly, the data also showed a temporary decline in anxiety and depression in 2019-2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers suggest this brief improvement could be due to increased family support, flexible academic arrangements and university outreach efforts during lockdown periods.

Researchers warn that the effects go beyond individual well-being. With over 1.1 million international students contributing around $40 billion annually to the U.S. economy, worsening mental health could threaten the country's global academic appeal. “If students and families perceive U.S. campuses as unsupportive environments, enrollment could decline,” Zhai noted.

The authors call on universities and policymakers to expand culturally competent, multilingual counseling services, strengthen peer support networks, and explore AI-powered mental health tools such as evidence-based chatbots to address service gaps. They also call for continued monitoring of mental health trends and early intervention efforts.

“Addressing the mental health of international students is not just an ethical responsibility – it is an investment in the future of higher education,” the study concludes.

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