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The Well-Being of International Doctoral Students--What Does It Look Like, What Affects It, and How Can We Support It?

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Title: The Well-Being of International Doctoral Students--What Does It Look Like, What Affects It, and How Can We Support It?
Language: English
Authors: Sean Nicholas, Pinjia Chan, Ivana Chan
Source: Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 2025 17(6):109-132.
Availability: Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 3107 B Hampton Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693. e-mail: oic213@lehigh.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Information Analyses
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Well Being, Doctoral Students, Foreign Students, Influences, Doctoral Programs, Mental Health, Mental Health Programs
ISSN: 2151-0393
2151-0407
Abstract: There are multiple reviews on the well-being of international students and doctoral students, but to our knowledge, none on the well-being of international doctoral students. We undertook a scoping review to understand the state of well-being of international doctoral students, the factors that affect it, and the strategies that support it. We searched PsycInfo, EBSCO, Scopus, and ERIC for full-text, peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2003-2023. Fourteen studies were included in our scoping review. These studies suggest that international doctoral students report relatively low well-being in terms of negative emotions, attitudes toward the self, and social relationships. Their well-being is affected by an intersection of predisposing, contextual, and psychological factors. Strategies to support well-being focused on actions that individual students can enact to support their own well-being. We suggest several strategies to support the well-being of international doctoral students, focusing on those that involve actions taken by institutions.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1494545
Database: ERIC
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  Data: The Well-Being of International Doctoral Students--What Does It Look Like, What Affects It, and How Can We Support It?
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Comparative+and+International+Higher+Education%22"><i>Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 17(6):109-132.
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  Data: Journal of Comparative and International Higher Education. 3107 B Hampton Highway, Yorktown, VA 23693. e-mail: oic213@lehigh.edu; Web site: https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/jcihe/
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  Data: There are multiple reviews on the well-being of international students and doctoral students, but to our knowledge, none on the well-being of international doctoral students. We undertook a scoping review to understand the state of well-being of international doctoral students, the factors that affect it, and the strategies that support it. We searched PsycInfo, EBSCO, Scopus, and ERIC for full-text, peer-reviewed articles published in English from 2003-2023. Fourteen studies were included in our scoping review. These studies suggest that international doctoral students report relatively low well-being in terms of negative emotions, attitudes toward the self, and social relationships. Their well-being is affected by an intersection of predisposing, contextual, and psychological factors. Strategies to support well-being focused on actions that individual students can enact to support their own well-being. We suggest several strategies to support the well-being of international doctoral students, focusing on those that involve actions taken by institutions.
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      – Text: English
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        StartPage: 109
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      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Doctoral Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Influences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Doctoral Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
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      – SubjectFull: Mental Health Programs
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      – TitleFull: The Well-Being of International Doctoral Students--What Does It Look Like, What Affects It, and How Can We Support It?
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