Center for Global Education Logo
The Center for Global Education promotes international education to foster cross-cultural awareness, cooperation and understanding. Living and working effectively in a global society requires learning with an international perspective.

We promote this type of learning by collaborating with colleges, universities and other organizations around the world.
SAFETI Clearinghouse: Safety Abroad First Education Travel Information
separator
Resources for Program Administrators

About Mental Health Issues

Policy Information:

Mental health issues may arise from a student’s previous condition or result from the stresses of travel and life in another country where the language and customs may provide significant challenges.

Mental health professionals on your campus can help provide expertise and resources for study abroad professionals.

The 2nd Edition of NAFSA's Guide to Education Abroad for Advisers and Administrators includes the following statement: “The possibility of known, or new, emotional and mental problems emerging overseas is seen by many experienced education abroad administrators and advisers as a health and safety concern second only to alcohol abuse in its potential negative impact on an education abroad experience. Like substance abuse, its primary impact may be on the well-being of one person, but its side-effects can carry over to others—even and entire group. What is clear is that pre-existing emotional difficulties are often intensified by living in a foreign culture” (Sind, M.H, Herrin, D.C., & Gore, J. (1997), p. 222).

According to Barnhart, B, Ricks, T., & Spier, P., responding to the emotional and mental adjustment problems that some students develop is of course a major challenge. It is one with which the average faculty leader is seldom prepared to deal. Dr. Brian Riedesel, staff psychologist at the University of Utah Counseling Center, with years of experience in providing cross-cultural adjustment counseling to military personnel, suggests the occurrence of mental casualties can be reduced by following some basic guidelines designed to minimize the anxiety that comes with an unfamiliar setting. These include frequent communication with all members of the group, building group cohesion, establishing a sensible pace of program activities to reduce fatigue, and sensitive leadership (1997, pp. 53-54). (See Cultural Adjustment Abroad and Re-Entry)

Web Links: