Mental health of Chinese international students: an emerging challenge to counsellors

The international student population in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) has continued to expand in recent years, and students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) form the largest overseas country group. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA, 2018), in the 2017-18 academic year over 23% of all international students were from China, and for first year students this percentage reaches 31%. This trend has also been observed in Scotland. In 2017/2018, China was the number one source of international students at Scottish HEIs (9425 students), followed by the USA with 4865 students (HESA, 2018). Chinese international students significantly contribute to the income of UK HEIs, but the challenges and stressors faced by them are often overlooked.