Navigating Loneliness and Solitude: A Comprehensive Literature Review of International Student Adaptation, Coping Strategies, and Institutional Interventions
Keywords:
International students; Loneliness; Solitude; Coping strategies; Institutional supportsAbstract
Loneliness among international students is both prevalent and consequential—linked to worse mental-health outcomes and lower engagement. In one large online sub-sample, screening positives reached 96%. This review employs social identity/identity negotiation and appraisal–coping and self-determination theories to analyze identity/belonging and coping mechanisms and network interactions and academic discourse through a critical narrative approach. PRISMA-aligned identification and reporting were used to improve transparency; the design is a critical narrative review with theory-informed thematic synthesis. The research combined data from 27 empirical studies while analyzing two reviews as separate entities. The research findings confirm the theoretical framework. showing four main findings: (1) an early post-arrival high-risk window; (2) identity threat/discrimination channeling appraisals toward low controllability and withdrawal-leaning coping; (3) language/academic-discourse thresholds depressing participation; and (4) friendship-network composition/role quality. Support origin differentiates trajectories (home-context vs host-context). Students need to develop control over their situation while building strong relationships with people who live near them so as to achieve better results. Institutions may consider one-path onboarding, invited-voice mentoring (with discourse scaffolds), visible anti-discrimination/empowerment cues, and housing-as-signpost—keeping routes into near-distance ties open. Volitional (autonomous) solitude can be adaptive, whereas avoidant solitude aligns with distress. Included studies were limited by mixed measures, scant moderator analyses, and predominantly cross-sectional methods. Future work could separate loneliness versus solitude motives, verify cross-language reliability, and adopt longitudinal models that test moderators.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.12.7
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