Acculturative stress and psychological well-being: The mediating role of social support, difficulties in emotion regulation, and meaning-centered coping style among international students in Germany

IF 2.8 2区社会学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Pub Date : 2025-08-23 DOI:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2025.102272

Rasa Soufi Amlashi , Mohammad Reza Majzoobi , Simon Forstmeier

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

One of the common trends in today’s world is studying abroad. Acculturative stress is one of the major challenging factors which international students face in the host country and might affect their psychological well-being (PWB). Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between acculturative stress and PWB through the mediating role of social support, difficulties in emotion regulation (DIER), and meaning-centered coping style (MCCS) in international students studying in Germany. This was a cross-sectional study, the statistical population of which included all international students studying at German universities in 2024, among whom a sample of 443 people were selected. The measures used in this study were Sandhu and Asrabadi’s acculturative stress, Ryff’s PWB, Ong and Ward’s social support, Gratz and Roemer’s DIER, and Eisenbeck et al.’s MCCS questionnaires. Data were analyzed through Pearson's correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling in SPSS 26 and LISREL 10 software. The findings indicated that acculturative stress was significantly associated with PWB through three pathways of social support, DIER, and MCCS. As such, it was found that acculturative stress was negatively related to social support and MCCS, which, in turn, was positively associated with PWB. Moreover, acculturative stress was positively related to DIER, which, in turn, negatively related to PWB. The findings provide important information to policymakers, therapists, and counselors involved in stress management among international students.

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异文化压力与心理健康：社会支持、情绪调节困难和意义中心应对方式在德国留学生中的中介作用

当今世界的一个共同趋势是出国留学。异文化压力是国际学生在东道国面临的主要挑战因素之一，可能会影响他们的心理健康。因此，本研究的目的是通过社会支持、情绪调节困难（DIER）和意义中心应对方式（MCCS）的中介作用，探讨异文化压力与在德留学生工作压力之间的关系。这是一项横断面研究，统计人群包括2024年在德国大学学习的所有国际学生，其中选择了443人作为样本。本研究使用的测量方法是Sandhu和Asrabadi的异文化压力，Ryff的PWB， Ong和Ward的社会支持，Gratz和Roemer的DIER，以及Eisenbeck等人的MCCS问卷。在SPSS 26和LISREL 10软件中通过Pearson相关系数和结构方程建模对数据进行分析。研究结果表明，异文化压力通过社会支持、DIER和mcs三条通路与PWB显著相关。因此，我们发现异文化压力与社会支持和MCCS呈负相关，而社会支持和MCCS与PWB呈正相关。此外，异文化压力与DIER呈正相关，而DIER与PWB呈负相关。研究结果为政策制定者、治疗师和参与国际学生压力管理的顾问提供了重要信息。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Intercultural Relations Multiple-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

14.30%

发文量

122

期刊介绍： IJIR is dedicated to advancing knowledge and understanding of theory, practice, and research in intergroup relations. The contents encompass theoretical developments, field-based evaluations of training techniques, empirical discussions of cultural similarities and differences, and critical descriptions of new training approaches. Papers selected for publication in IJIR are judged to increase our understanding of intergroup tensions and harmony. Issue-oriented and cross-discipline discussion is encouraged. The highest priority is given to manuscripts that join theory, practice, and field research design. By theory, we mean conceptual schemes focused on the nature of cultural differences and similarities.