From challenges to coping strategies

A study on academic integration and psychological well-being among international students at Chinese universities

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/rcg6jt52

Keywords:

Academic Integration, acculturative stress, Psychological Wellbeing, Coping strategies, Higher education in China

Abstract

International students in China face interrelated cultural, academic, and psychological challenges that shape their adaptation and well-being. This study explored these difficulties and the coping strategies that students employ in Chinese higher education. Drawing on Berry’s acculturation theory and Lazarus and Folkman’s coping theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 international students across six locations. Thematic analysis identified key obstacles, including language barriers, unfamiliar pedagogies, delayed stipends, high academic demands, and perceived discrimination. These factors contribute to acculturative stress, homesickness, social isolation, and depressive symptoms. Students nonetheless demonstrated resilience through emotion-focused coping, such as peer support, virtual family contact, and religious or cultural practices, and problem-focused strategies, including structured study habits, institutional navigation, and language improvement. The findings show that institutional limitations, particularly inadequate mental health services and weak language support, can heighten psychological distress.

Author Biographies

  • Rabia Mahmood, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    RABIA MAHMOOD is a PhD Scholar in the School of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Her major research interests lie in academic literacies, academic integrity, higher education research and multiculturalism. Email: rabiamahmood197@gmail.com

  • Waqas Ahmed, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    SADAF MAHMOOD is an Associate Professor at the Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Her research interests include gender, social policy, migration, and international student mobility. Email: drsadaf.mahmood@uaf.edu.pk

  • Sadaf Mahmood, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

    SADAF MAHMOOD is an Associate Professor at the Department of Rural Sociology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Her research interests include gender, social policy, migration, and international student mobility. Email: drsadaf.mahmood@uaf.edu.pk

     
  • Rao Muhammad Faisal Suleman, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    RAO MUHAMMAD FAISAL SULEMAN is a PhD scholar at the School of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. His major research interests are transgenders, public health, migration and social policy. Email: raofaisalrao99@gmail.com

     
  • Muhammad Shabbir, Bahaudin Zakaria University, Multan

    MUHAMMAD SHABBIR is an Associate Professor at the School of Sociology, Bahaudin Zakaria University, Multan, Pakistan. His major research interests are transgender individuals, gender studies, and social policy. Email: shabbirch@bzu.edu.pk

  • Freda Yangrong Wang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

    FREDA YANGRONG WANG is an Associate Professor at the School of Sociology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Her major research interests include academic integrity, higher education research, international student mobility, psychological well-being, positive parenting, and migration. Email: fredawang@hust.edu.cn

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2026-01-24

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Vol. 16 No. 3 (2026): Journal of International Students

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How to Cite

Mahmood, R., Ahmed, W., Mahmood, S., Suleman, R. M. F., Shabbir, M., & Wang, F. Y. (2026). From challenges to coping strategies: A study on academic integration and psychological well-being among international students at Chinese universities. Journal of International Students, 16(3), 35-62. https://doi.org/10.32674/rcg6jt52