{"id":19519,"date":"2017-01-19T20:08:41","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T20:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/intercardiff\/?p=19519"},"modified":"2017-01-19T20:08:41","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T20:08:41","slug":"international_student_mental_health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/global-city\/international_student_mental_health","title":{"rendered":"Peace of Mind: The Struggles Faced by International Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over a quarter of students in the UK report having a mental health problem, but how is this reflected in Cardiff\u2019s international student population?<\/h2>\n

The pressures of university education combined with the stress of moving away from home have led to high levels of mental health illnesses within UK students. Then again, leaving home becomes a whole other matter when you\u2019re moving from overseas compared to from 40 miles down the M4.<\/p>\n

\"International_Student_Mental_Health\"

The latest YouGov student survey<\/a> figures show that depression and anxiety are the most common forms of mental health illness in UK students. Combine this with the fact that 27% of students report to have a mental health issue, and that 70% of students know someone with a mental health problem – the scope of the issue suddenly becomes pretty serious.<\/p>\n

But international students often have more hurdles to overcome when studying at university, as the combination of culture shock, language barriers, being alone during holidays and a time difference from their home country create extra stress. After all, culture underlies most social interactions, so living abroad creates a drastic change to your social and support network.<\/p>\n

\u201cHome students have common interests to talk about, which international students lack,\u201d said Dhriti (name changed to remain anonymous), an international student in her fourth year at Cardiff, who suffers with anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my first year in halls, I had five flat mates, all of them British. While they were all lovely people, we never got close because conversations were always a problem \u2013 not because of language but because of subject matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of closeness with my flatmates made my depression worse. Staying away from home and then not feeling connected with people you\u2019re living with can be quite daunting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cardiff University Students’ Union organises events throughout the year to raise awareness of mental health<\/h3>\n
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Student Minds love puppies!! ?\u2764\ufe0f #MindYourHeadCSU<\/a> #MindYourHeadWeek<\/a> #1in4<\/a> @StudentMindsOrg<\/a> @cardiffstudents<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jib490r4yw<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 StudentMinds Cardiff (@StudentMindsCDF) October 7, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dhriti came to Cardiff in 2013, claiming that culture shock luckily didn\u2019t affect her as her upbringing was always liberal, but says that others students from small towns often experience it. It doesn\u2019t help that most gatherings at university are based on the medium of alcohol, leaving it harder for some international students to break the ice during their first weeks in the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people from conservative Asian backgrounds won\u2019t feel comfortable meeting people through alcohol, especially when they\u2019re already experiencing staying away from home and new things around them,\u201d said Dhriti. \u201cThe [UK\u2019s] drinking culture scares them at first and that\u2019s why many students group together based on their nationalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOverall, I have loved each and every minute of my time here at Cardiff. Thankfully once I found new activities, I found better support groups,\u201d said Dhriti. \u201cBut it shouldn\u2019t be left on the individual, support should already be there. My years with mental health problems made me want to beat it, but for many [lack of support] could very easily just sink them further in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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