Facilitating Recovery through Building an Interconnected Community: From Awareness to Action

Authors

  • Kyunghee Ma University of South Carolina

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i4.3303

Keywords:

Asian international students, mental health, cross-cultural adjustment, community building

Abstract

This article describes stress that many Asian international students experience during their adjustment to U.S. universities. Reflecting on personal experiences that contributed to deeper self-understanding, I explain cultural incompatibilities that cause this stress, the negative impact that the stress has on mental health, and the lack of support systems that exacerbate mental health complications. In highlighting the prioritization of the mental health in Asian international students and initiating community outreach programs, I demonstrate that when Asian international students participate in creating an interconnected community, they have the potential to thrive despite the stressful adjustment period.

Author Biography

  • Kyunghee Ma, University of South Carolina

    Kyunghee Ma, PhD, is an independent researcher and community mental health advocate. Her research interests lie in the area of mental health, multiculturalism, and spirituality in higher education. Email: kyunghee@email.sc.edu

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Published

2021-03-06

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 4 (2021)

Section

Cross-Border Narratives

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Journal of International Students

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

All published articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License.

How to Cite

Facilitating Recovery through Building an Interconnected Community: From Awareness to Action. (2021). Journal of International Students, 11(4), 995-1002. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v11i4.3303