International students continue to experience myriad of challenges, some of which further transpired disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic era. To this effect, this study investigated psychological capital (PsyCap), psychological distress, and well-being among 188 international students attending U.S universities. Results using Hayes PROCESS indicated that well-being mediated the relationship between PsyCap and psychological distress and in particular moderated the relationship between PsyCap and depression. When higher education institutions are considering steps to mitigate psychological distress experienced by international students during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, based on the findings of our study, we suggest investing efforts and resources into two aspects: (a) promotion of positive mental health and well-being and (b) identification and development of positive psychological capital. We further discuss these results and implications for mental health promotion of international students in light of its limitations and recommendations for future research.

国际学生继续面临无数挑战，其中一些挑战在 COVID-19 大流行期间进一步加剧。为此，本研究调查了 188 名在美国大学就读的国际学生的心理资本 (PsyCap)、心理困扰和幸福感。 Hayes PROCESS 的结果表明，幸福感介导了 PsyCap 与心理困扰之间的关系，特别是调节了 PsyCap 与抑郁之间的关系。当高等教育机构考虑采取措施减轻国际学生在 COVID-19 大流行期间及之后所经历的心理困扰时，根据我们的研究结果，我们建议将努力和资源投入到两个方面：(a) 促进积极的心理健康和幸福感；(b) 识别和发展积极的心理资本。鉴于其局限性和对未来研究的建议，我们进一步讨论这些结果以及对国际学生心理健康促进的影响。