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Adult Attachment, Personality Factors, Social Support, and Acculturative Stress of International Students

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Abstract

The current study examined the direct effects of adult attachment and personality factors, as well as indirect effects of attachment variables via social support on acculturative stress of international students. Based on a sample of 217 international students, the results of the structure equation modeling (SEM) analyses indicated that higher attachment anxiety and neuroticism were significantly associated with acculturative stress. Furthermore, significant indirect effects were found for the path of attachment avoidance➔social support➔acculturative stress and of extraversion➔social support➔acculturative stress. Limitations, future research directions, and counseling implications of the findings for mental health providers working with international students are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #311280, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Chiachih D. C. Wang & Ling Jin

  2. Counseling & Psychological Services, University of California-Merced, Merced, CA, USA

    Gabriel Zamudio

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  1. Chiachih D. C. Wang
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  2. Ling Jin
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Correspondence to Chiachih D. C. Wang.

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Wang, C.D.C., Jin, L. & Zamudio, G. Adult Attachment, Personality Factors, Social Support, and Acculturative Stress of International Students. Int J Adv Counselling 43, 31–47 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-020-09417-7

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