Psychische Gesundheit und Studienabbruch bei internationalen Studierenden in Deutschland : Eine Literaturrecherche

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of international students at German universities is increasing exponentially. They decide to come to Germany due to better career possibilities and the high quality of German higher education. The most international students come from Asian countries and more students study in bachelor programs than master programs. Despite the success of German universities in obtaining international students, this group of students is at a higher risk of dropping out of their study program in Germany than their native German peers (i.e. unsuccessfully ending their studies in Germany). This pattern can be seen in both master and bachelor students, but especially bachelor students. The decision to drop out of one’s studies is a process that begins before a student starts their study program. Some of the factors that play a role in this decision are especially present for international students, indicating the need for these factors to be especially considered in developing support measures for this vulnerable group. International students experience a variety of challenges and difficulties during their time in Germany, which has a negative impact on their mental and social health. German universities do indeed have student health management programs, but these programs are not culturally sensitive. This indicates that the needs of international students at German universities are not being adequately addressed, which may contribute to their decision to drop out of their German study programs. To promote the mental health of international students at German universities and lower the dropout rate of this group, German universities need to address the needs of this group in a culturally sensitive way and fitted to the different phases and challenges of their studies. Methods: The aim of this paper is to research and analyze the existing interventions and help offers for international students of universities outside of Germany. Using these results, suggestions will be developed to answer the research question. The Drop Out Process Model will be utilized to fit different interventions to different challenges and phases of international students’ studies to address the goal of preventing international student drop out. Results: the literature results indicate that in-person and online interventions to promote the mental healt of international students in countries outside of Germany were successful. Aspects of mental health such as oping self-efficacy, social capital and adjustment were shown to improve following the interventions. Semi-Structured interviews were also utilized to gain insight into the perceptions of both international students and professional university staff and faculty. Barriers to mental health services and influencers of help seeking intentions were discovered to be related to stigma and lack of trust in services, both relating back to cultural differences of the target group to their host country. Discussion: Based on the results from the literature analysis, inferences could be made pertaining to how German universities can better support and promote the mntal health of international students. To relate the results back to international student drop out, the Drop Out Process Model was brought into the discussion and the suggestions for improvement were structured around the phases and specific challenges relevant for international students.