An Examination of Affectivity, Depression, and Acculturative Stress in Asian International College Students using an Online Written Disclosure Protocol

Abstract

With the US college system welcoming an ever-increasing number of international students (Institute of International Education, 2016), the necessity of programs to help students acclimate to their new surroundings has become critical. China, India, and South Korea are three of the top four countries to send students to US colleges, with over a half million students hailing from these countries studying in the US (Institute of International Education, 2016). Many Asian international college students have a rich experience in the US and add tremendous value to the college communities that they join. That being said, struggles with acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, and negative affect are common among Asian international college students (Constantine, Okazaki, & Utsey, 2004; Dao, Lee, & Chang, 2007; Lee, Koeske, & Sales, 2004; Wang, Wei, & Chen, 2015; Wei et al., 2007; Ying & Han, 2006). Mental health services are used at comparatively lower rates among Asian international college students (Atkinson & Gim, 1989) creating the issue of how best to reach this population for relief from these symptoms. An online written emotional disclosure protocol may prove useful in this regard. Written emotional disclosure, initially developed by James Pennebaker, is a brief writing protocol that has improved symptoms of mood and physical health in multitudinous populations (Frattaroli, 2006). Research is proposed to examine the effects of an online written emotional disclosure protocol on Asian international college students in regard to alleviating symptoms of depression, acculturative stress, and negative affect.