Exploring Stress among International College Students in China

2025-03-18

AI Summary

This study investigates primary stressors—future anxiety, acculturative challenges, financial burden, and academic pressure—experienced by international undergraduate students in China, along with their coping mechanisms. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 20 students and inductive thematic analysis, the research systematically identifies four cross-cultural stress dimensions for the first time. It introduces the novel conceptual framework of “connective aesthetics,” integrating social connectedness with aesthetic experience to enhance psychological resilience and emotional awareness. The study further delineates differentiated coping strategies aligned with each stressor, distills actionable design principles, and proposes prototype directions for intervention development. Findings provide empirically grounded insights and practical pathways for enhancing university mental health services and building inclusive, culturally responsive student support systems.

Technology Category

• Application Domains: Humanities & Computational Social Science
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Social Cognition And Interaction
• Humans and AI: Game Design — Virtual Humans, NPCs and Autonomous Characters

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Practical large-scale studies of user experience
• Responsible Web: Web for democratic and emancipatory futures
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements

Abstract

Psychological stress encompasses emotional tension and pressure experienced by people, which usually arises from situations people find challenging. However, more is needed to know about the pressures faced by international college students studying in China. The goal of this study is to investigate the various stressors that international college students in China face and how they cope with stress (coping mechanisms). Twenty international students were interviewed to gather data, which was then transcribed. Thematic analysis and coding were applied to the qualitative data, revealing themes related to the causes of stress. The following themes emerge from this data: anticipatory anxiety or future stress, social and cultural challenges, financial strain, and academic pressure. These themes will help understand the various stressors international college students in China face and how they try to cope. Studying how international college students in China cope with challenges can guide the development of targeted interventions to support their mental health. Research suggests that integrating aesthetics and connectivity into design interventions can notably improve the well-being of these students. This paper presents possible future design solutions, leveraging the aesthetics of connectivity to empower students and enhance their resilience. Additionally, it aims to provide valuable insights for designers interested in creating solutions that alleviate stress and promote emotional awareness among international students.

Problem

• Investigates stressors faced by international students in China.
• Explores coping mechanisms for stress among these students.
• Proposes design solutions to enhance student well-being.

Innovation

• Thematic analysis and coding for stress themes
• Design interventions using aesthetics and connectivity
• Enhancing resilience through emotional awareness solutions