New challenges for professional counsellors: The higher education international student population

Abstract

Using a 50-item, self-report questionnaire, 640 international students enrolled at an urban university campus provided needs assessment data based on the geographical region of their country of origin. Additionally, the students’ perceptions regarding changes they experienced since coming to the United States are also reported. The authors conclude with a discussion of the study's implications for professional counsellors in higher education. Recommendations are proffered for the mental health services and programs needed by this special population of students based on the information obtained from the investigation.

Keywords:

• Counselling
• international students
• higher education
• diversity issues in counselling

Acknowledgements

We thank the staff of the University of California at Los Angeles's Office of International Studies and Scholars, for their support and cooperation in making available students' data.