Author(s)

Ying Guan^1*, Teaway Angeline Patience², Kailiang Shen¹, Wenyi Lai¹, Emmanuel Nizeyimana², Ileana Kong Zhuo², Yuxin Li³

¹Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
²School of International Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
³International Department, The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.

With the expansion of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the number of international college students in China has increased significantly in recent years. These students often face cultural, academic, and linguistic challenges that may exacerbate psychological distress. Early screening and intervention are crucial; however, mental health support for international college students remains underdeveloped in Chinese higher education policy and research. This study employed a cross-sectional design to assess the mental health status of international college students in China using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), a validated psychological screening tool measuring nine symptom dimensions. Demographic and background data were collected to control for confounding variables, including age and duration of residence. Results indicate that the psychological status of international college students differed significantly from established Chinese college norms, U.S., and German norms across all nine SCL-90 dimensions. Strong positive correlations were observed among all symptom domains (r = 0.720 - 0.878, P < 0.01). Subgroup analyses further revealed gender-based differences in all SCL-90 domains except for psychoticism. This study presented a data-driven early screening model tailored to international students in China, offering novel insights into psychological support mechanisms in higher education institutions. By addressing a critical research gap, the findings contributed to the development of inclusive, high-quality educational environments aligned with global mental health objectives.

International College Students, SCL-90, Psychology, Education, Policy

Guan, Y. , Patience, T. , Shen, K. , Lai, W. , Nizeyimana, E. , Zhuo, I. and Li, Y. (2025) Reforming Mental Health Support for International College Students in China: An Evidence-Based Perspective. Creative Education, 16, 887-903. doi: 10.4236/ce.2025.166055.