Role of Stress and Resilience in the Psychological Health of Students Studying Abroad

Abstract

Background and Objective: This article addresses the topic of “psychological health”, an independent concept that is not a synonym for “mental health”. The term “psychological health” is considered a set of mental properties of a person, providing “harmony” between the needs of an individual and society, which are the prerequisites for stress resistance, social adaptation, and successful self-actualization. The study has considered the psychological health of students studying abroad. While adapting to a new country, as well as learning and cultural environment, it was identified that the role of psychological health and its components increased. The components of students' psychological health, studied in this article, taking into account students’ experience of studying abroad, were resilience, chronic stress, quality of life, psychological well-being, mental and physical well-being, and sense of coherence. The sample consisted of 46 Kazakhstani students studying in Kazakhstan (control group) and in Turkey (experimental group). Methods: The following diagnostic toolkit was used: The Leipzig Screening Questionnaire on Chronic Stress, LKCS (K. Reschke & H. Schröder, adapted by A. Garber, L. Karapetyan); The Resilience Scale, RS-25 (G.M. Wagnild & H.M. Young); Sense of Coherence, SOC (adapted by A. Antonovsky, M.N. Dymshits); SF-36 Health Survey (MOS 36-item Short Form Health Survey), SF-36 (J. Ware, QualityMetric Inc., IQOLA-Project Group); PERMA-Profiler, PERMA (adapted by J. Butler, M. Kern, O.M. Isaeva, A.Yu. Akimova, E.N. Volkova). Results: The following correlations of various psychological health indicators and latent factors of the structure of psychological health in students studying abroad were identified, compared to those studying in Kazakhstan: Similarity: Kazakhstani students studying abroad and in Kazakhstan are both characterized by an average level of resilience. There is a similarity in assessing the quality of life and general well-being. Differences: There is a lower level of chronic stress in students studying abroad, but a greater formation of the sense of coherence in students studying in Kazakhstan. The structure of psychological health of Kazakhstani students studying abroad is as follows: The key role in the structure is of resilience, associated with the meaningfulness of what is happening in stress and the achievement of goals, i.e., constructive coping behavior in a stressful situation. The first three latent factors of psychological health in general are not related to the indicators of physical health but to psychological indicators: resilience, emotional well-being, and the value of self and relationships with others. Also, the ability to rest and the feeling of happiness determine the psychological health of students studying abroad. The structure of the psychological health of students studying at home is as follows: in the first place, there is the physical component of health itself (physical condition, healthy sleep). Negative emotions experienced in stress, feelings of helplessness, and depression have a significant impact on the structure of psychological health, i.e., low-stress resistance and insignificant experience of coping behavior. Conclusion: The role of stress and resistance in the psychological health of students studying in Turkey and Kazakhstan has been revealed in this study. The obtained results can be used to develop programs for the formation of psychological health in students as one of the necessary prerequisites for successful adaptation to studying abroad. The importance of mental rather than physical components of health, the role of resistance, and stress tolerance can also be taken into account.