How to Deal with Homesickness and Culture Shock as an International Student
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published May 16, 2026 • Student Life
Over half of US college students reported homesickness in fall 2023, and international students fared worse with 18.6% feeling homesick often and 47% sometimes, per an EdSights survey of around 300,000 students at 108 institutions reported by Inside Higher Ed .
How Common Homesickness and Culture Shock Are Among International Students
The Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2024 Annual Report drew on 173,536 students treated at 213 university counseling centers during 2023 to 2024. International students who began counseling with low social support left treatment with more severe symptoms than international peers with stronger networks or domestic students.
A February 2024 Inside Higher Ed article on EdSights survey data found 11% of all US college students felt homesick often and 45% sometimes during fall 2023, up from 9.6% and 43.6% in fall 2022. International student rates ran higher at 18.6% often and 47% sometimes, with Asian students reporting the highest combined rate at 21% often and 54% sometimes.
The 2024 to 2025 academic year saw 1,177,766 international students enroll at US colleges , per the Institute of International Education Open Doors release of November 17, 2025. India led with 363,019 students and China followed with 265,919.
Mental Health Prevalence Figures From Peer-Reviewed Studies
A May 2025 review in Frontiers in Psychiatry by Ansari Lari, Zumot, and Fredericks aggregated international student mental health data across multiple countries.
| Population | Finding | Cited in review |
|---|---|---|
| International students in Australia | Loneliness 60 to 65% | Maharaj et al., 2024 |
| International students in Australia | Anxiety 2.4 to 43% | Maharaj et al., 2024 |
| US international students | Depressive symptoms 42.4% | Yeung et al., 2021 |
| US international students | Suicide attempts 2.2% | Yeung et al., 2021 |
| Bangladeshi dental students | Homesickness 80.5% | Kabir et al., 2021 |
| Bangladeshi dental students | Depression 51.5%, driven by financial strain | Kabir et al., 2021 |
The Four Stages of Culture Shock
Kalervo Oberg first described culture shock in 1954 and refined the four-stage model in 1960. NACADA , the academic advising professional body at Kansas State University, outlines the stages for advisors working with international students.
| Stage | What you feel | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Honeymoon | Excitement, tourist-like curiosity, novelty | Set study routines early so the high does not derail coursework |
| Crisis or culture shock | Irritation, frustration, withdrawal from the host culture | Book counseling intake, talk to international student services |
| Gradual adjustment | Growing understanding, ups and downs continue | Mix social time with co-nationals and locals |
| Adaptation or mastery | Comfort, easy social participation | Mentor newer arrivals to consolidate gains |
Longitudinal evidence challenges the strict U-curve. A 50-country study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology tracked sojourner stress over time and found individual paths vary widely from the textbook curve.
Why International Students Face Sharper Risk
The May 2025 Frontiers in Psychiatry review flags five repeating risk factors across studies.
- Language barriers, with 60% of Bangladeshi students in the Kabir study reporting them
- Financial strain, ranging from 15.4 to 95% across Australian samples
- Perceived discrimination, between 9 and 50% in Australian samples
- Visa and immigration uncertainty, which compounds during policy shifts
- Distance from family support and absence of in-person crisis contact
A 2024 systematic review in Frontiers in Psychiatry on suicidal behavior in international students linked social isolation, comorbid mental health conditions, and racism or discrimination to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. International students reported similar or lower suicidal ideation than domestic peers but more frequent suicide attempts.
Cultural Stigma Around Seeking Help
A qualitative study in the British Journal of Guidance and Counselling found Asian international students in Scotland framed mental health as taboo, weakness, or shameful, which pushed them to cope alone instead of using campus services. Collectivist values emphasizing emotional self-control correlated negatively with help-seeking intent.
Research summarized in a PMC review on Asian student help-seeking found the link between perceived stigma and personal stigma ran stronger for Asian international students than for Asian American students born in the US. Use of any health services sat at 8.6% for Asian Americans against 18% for the US population overall.
Coping Strategies Backed by Evidence
The University of Maryland Baltimore Student Counseling Center and the University of Iowa University Counseling Service both list practical adjustment steps for international students.
- Book the campus counseling intake within the first month of arrival, before symptoms peak
- Hold weekly video calls home on a fixed day, set on your calendar like a class
- Join one identity-based group (cultural society, religious community) and one interest-based group (sport, music, coding) in the first two weeks
- Build a daily anchor routine including a 20-minute outdoor walk, three regular meals, and consistent sleep and wake times
- Learn the three local crisis numbers for your country before you need them
- Identify two campus contacts you text without explanation: a counselor and one peer
- Keep one comfort item from home visible in your room: a photo, a kitchen tool, a textile
Daily Practices for Acute Homesickness
The NHS guide on anxiety, fear, and panic lists breathing, grounding, and movement as first-line self-help. Practical applications for homesickness include four short drills.
- Box breathing: inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4, repeat for 5 minutes
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste
- 20-minute walk in daylight to reset circadian rhythm and lift mood
- Cook one familiar dish per week to anchor identity and comfort
The Inside Higher Ed article noted Southern Utah University uses resident advisers to check in with two new students each day to catch homesickness early. Will Miller of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Carolina Recchi, co-CEO of EdSights, called for early intervention before symptoms escalate.
Support Services in Major Study Destinations
United States
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is operated by SAMHSA, available 24/7 by call, text, or chat. Spanish speakers press 2 or text AYUDA to 988. Interpreters cover more than 240 languages. Immigration status is not required.
The Center for Collegiate Mental Health network covers more than 800 college counseling centers. Most US universities offer counseling at no extra charge once you enroll, funded by student health fees.
United Kingdom
UKCISA lists Student Minds, Mind, Nightline, Samaritans, GloballyMindEd, and Amna among recommended services. For urgent mental health support, call NHS 111 or use NHS 111 online .
Register with a GP at your term-time address as soon as you arrive. GP referral is the standard route to NHS talking therapies.
Australia
Lifeline Australia operates 13 11 14 for crisis support. Beyond Blue runs 1300 22 4636 for anxiety and depression support, 24/7 by phone, with web chat and email.
Non-English speakers ring TIS National on 13 14 50 for free interpreting and ask to connect to Beyond Blue or Lifeline. Related: mental health abroad guide and handling impostor syndrome abroad.
Online Therapy Platforms
Many US universities contract with platforms such as TimelyCare and Mantra Health for 24/7 telehealth. Check your campus health portal for sign-in, since student access is funded through enrollment.
When Stigma Blocks Help
The Asian international student stigma study suggests three steps to lower the barrier.
- Frame the visit as academic support, since most campus counselors handle academic stress alongside mental health
- Use anonymous or self-help digital tools first if a live session feels exposed, such as Students Against Depression self-assessments
- Seek counselors who share your language or cultural background through services like GloballyMindEd in the UK or campus multicultural counseling teams in the US
If your family pressures you to hide symptoms, you do not need to disclose counseling visits to them. Campus counseling records are confidential under FERPA in the US and equivalent UK and Australian privacy laws, and they do not appear on academic transcripts.
Sources
- Inside Higher Ed: Soothing homesick college students with support, February 2, 2024
- Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2024 Annual Report
- Ansari Lari et al., Frontiers in Psychiatry, May 5, 2025
- Institute of International Education Open Doors 2025 press release, November 17, 2025
- NACADA: Understanding Culture Shock in International Students
- Frontiers in Psychiatry systematic review on suicidal behavior in international students, 2024
- British Journal of Guidance and Counselling: stigma among Asian international students
- PMC: Mental health stigma and help-seeking among Asian international students
- SAMHSA 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- UKCISA mental health support in the UK
- NHS: Where to get urgent help for mental health
- NHS: Anxiety, fear and panic
- Lifeline Australia: Beyond Blue partnership
- Beyond Blue
- University of Maryland Baltimore Student Counseling Center
- University of Iowa University Counseling Service
- Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Highs and lows of a cultural transition across 50 countries (Demes and Geeraert, 2015)