Chinese international student stress and coping: A pilot study of acceptance and commitment therapy

Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on weight, eating behaviours and psychological outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

To examine the effectiveness of ACT on weight (body mass index and body mass), eating behaviours (binge eating, emotional eating, external eating and restraint eating), and psychological outcomes (quality of life [QoL], depression, psychological flexibility, and weight stigma) among adults with overweight and obesity.

METHODS

Seven electronic databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycInfo Scopus, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) were searched from inception through 17 June 2022. 13 studies and 48 unique effect sizes were analyzed using random-effects models. Pooled effect estimates were calculated using weighted mean differences (WMD) and standardized mean differences expressed in Hedges' g (g). Heterogeneity was assessed using Q-statistics and interpreted using I².

RESULTS

ACT was found to be effective in improving weight loss in terms of BMI (k = 6, WMD = - .50, 95% CI = - .90; - .11, t = - 3.25, p = .20, I² = .0%), psychological flexibility and weight-related stigma. However, non-significant changes were found for body mass (k = 4, WMD = - 0.33 95% CI = - 1.53; 0.87, t = - .88, p = .44, I² = .0%), binge eating (k = 4, g = - .34, 95% CI = - 1.31; 0.62, t = - 1.13, p = .34, I² = 71.1%), emotional eating (k = 6, g = - .20, 95% CI = - 0.54; 0.15, t = - 1.47, p = .20, I² = 45.0%), external eating (k = 5, g = - .40, 95% CI = 0.96; 0.16, t = - 1.99, p = .12, I² = 81.8%), restraint eating (k = 3, g = .22 95% CI = - 0.57; 1.01, t = 1.19, p = .36, I² = 69.1%), QoL (k = 3, g = .01, 95% CI = - 1.51; 1.52, t = .02, p = .99, I² = 90.2%) and depression (k = 3, g = - .55, 95% CI = - 1.78; 0.67, t = - 1.94, p = .19, I² = 79.9%).

CONCLUSION

ACT could be effective in improving weight loss but more studies are needed to ascertain its effectiveness and the underlying mechanism by which the various components influence weight-related outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Evidence obtained from a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing empirical studies.

Fire Safety Knowledge of Firefighting Equipment among Local and Foreign University Students

Despite the risks at university laboratories, university students are still marginalized from safety management in university laboratories. In addition, the existing studies related to the fire safety knowledge of university laboratories, do not consider the fire safety knowledge of university students with respect to firefighting equipment and the increasing number of foreign university students. To overcome this gap, we conducted a survey on 273 foreign and 144 local students and identified the differences in fire safety knowledge and those in comprehension and response related to firefighting equipment among the participants through statistical analysis. The results of the survey, where respondents were classified into four groups by gender and nationality, found significant differences in fire safety knowledge between gender and nationality. All the groups had difficulty in directly extinguishing a fire using fire extinguishing equipment. The results of this study, that is, those pertaining to the differences in fire safety knowledge depending on the gender and nationality of students and types of firefighting systems are expected to be used as basic data to establish safety education and management plans in the future.

Moderating Effects of Intercultural Social Efficacy and the Role of Language in the Context of Coping Strategies in Study Abroad Depression

This study examined the relationship between intercultural social efficacy (ISE), coping strategies, Mandarin Chinese and English language proficiency, and depression. In total, 1870 foreign students in Taiwan participated in the study. Study results indicated that aspects of background demographics may influence depression levels. Participants with an immigrant background and those who are older are more likely to suffer from depression; however, gender and length of stay do not seem to affect depression. The moderating effects of Mandarin Chinese and English language proficiency and ISE on the relationship between coping strategies and depression were examined. Based on the results, the moderating role of Mandarin Chinese and English language proficiency was not supported, suggesting that coping strategies are independent of linguistic proficiency. However, knowing both languages is an important factor in reducing the stress of studying abroad. Additionally, the results confirmed the moderating effects of ISE, suggesting that a higher level of social effectiveness reinforces the negative association between coping strategies and depression. Students who are better able to interact with other cultures may be able to develop effective coping strategies. Moreover, this study found that although most of the study abroad students were not depressed, early intervention and prevention measures could help alleviate possible mental health crises.

A Bibliometric Review of Research on International Students' Mental Health: Science Mapping of the Literature from 1957 to 2020

The mental health of university students is not only a predominant topic for psychology and education researchers but also a source of interest for policymakers and various stakeholders. Although there has been a lot of research on higher education students’ mental health, we have little understanding on the mental health of international students (MHIS). Despite their distinctive characteristics compared to native students, the mental health issues of international students only started receiving attention very recently. So far, the literature on this topic lacks a comprehensive overview of its sub-topic and trending issues. By using bibliometric analysis, this research aims to fulfil this gap and provide a review of the extant literature about MHIS. Specifically, this study aims to (i) draw the growth trajectory and geographic distribution of the literature on MHIS; (ii) identify the documents and authors that have the greatest impact, generally and locally, within the major topic clusters of the literature on MHIS; and (iii) identify the most researched keywords in the literature on MHIS over time. The results have shown that academic documents about international students’ mental health are increasing in number and becoming more extensive content-wise. The research’s findings provide implications for stakeholders and identifies some prominent research avenues for the future.

Do Experiences Studying Abroad Promote Dialectical Thinking? Empirical Evidence From Chinese International Students

Our current work seeks to provide direct empirical evidence on whether Chinese international students’ experiences studying abroad promote dialectical thinking. We collected behavioral data from 258 Chinese international students studying in multiple regions. We found that there was a main effect among the four conditions (i.e., studying abroad, exposure to foreign culture, hometown, and typical day). More specifically, when primed with studying abroad or typical day (relative to hometown culture), participants were more likely to show tolerance for contradiction by deeming both sides of contradictory scientific statements as convincing and rating them more favorably. Therefore, it is plausible that Chinese international students’ experiences studying abroad promote their dialectical thinking. More work is needed to further this line of research by (1) extending these effects with other measures of dialectical thinking such as perception of interconnectedness and prediction of change, (2) adopting differing paradigms to provide more robust findings, and (3) probing the underlying processes as to why experiences studying abroad promote dialectical thinking.