Psychosocial Determinants of Mental Health and Academic Performance in Foreign University Students: A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Cultural adaptation; foreign university students; academic performance; mental health; acculturative stress; social supportAbstract
Introduction: The transition to higher education represents a complex process for foreign university students who must simultaneously adapt to new academic, social, and cultural demands that can affect their psychological well-being and academic performance. Various psychosocial determinants influence the way in which these students face the process of university adaptation.
Objective: To synthesize and analyze the existing scientific literature on the psychosocial determinants that influence the mental health and academic performance of foreign university students.
Material and Methods: A systematic review of the literature was developed following the guidelines of the PRISMA 2020 protocol. The search was carried out in the Scopus, PubMed, and SciELO databases, considering original scientific articles published between 2015 and February 2026. After the identification, screening, and eligibility process, 26 studies were included.
Results: The psychosocial determinants associated with the deterioration of mental health in foreign students are acculturative stress, language barriers, loneliness or social isolation, economic difficulties and the limited availability of social support networks. These factors are related to higher levels of anxiety, depression, psychological stress and academic burnout. Likewise, it was identified that these determinants influence academic performance indirectly, through their impact on psychological well-being.
Conclusions: The mental health and academic performance of foreign university students are deeply conditioned by psychosocial factors associated with the process of sociocultural adaptation, evidencing the need to strengthen institutional strategies aimed at psychological, social and academic support of this population.
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