The Challenges of Psychological Adjustment for International Students: A Critical Analysis of Coping Mechanisms and Support Services

This paper critically analyzes the challenges of psychological adjustment faced by international students and explores coping mechanisms and support services that can help them overcome these challenges. The essay first introduces the background information on international students and highlights the importance of psychological adjustment for their well-being and academic success. The challenges of psychological adjustment, including cultural, academic, social adjustment, and language barrier, are discussed in detail. The essay then explores coping mechanisms, including problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, seeking social support, and cultural adjustment programs, and the support services, including counseling services and international student services, that can help international students adjust to their new environment. Finally, the essay evaluates the effectiveness of these coping mechanisms and support services, emphasizing the importance of cultural competence in providing effective support services. This essay has practical implications for higher education institutions in providing tailored support to international students and highlights the need for future research to explore the effectiveness of coping mechanisms and support services for different groups of international students and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their psychological adjustment

The Effect of Social Isolation on the Mental Health of International Students

This paper looks into how social isolation affects international college students mental health. An increase in international students studying at colleges and universities abroad can be attributed to increased global mobility over the previous few decades. Because of this, these students struggle in certain ways to fit into their new academic and social surroundings. Among these difficulties, social isolation among overseas students has been recognized as a major issue. This essay will investigate how social isolation affects the mental health of international college students by drawing on existing studies. The various types of social isolation will be covered in the essay along with how they may affect mental health. It will also be looked at whether factors like linguistic difficulties, cultural shock, prejudice, and discrimination contribute to social isolation among overseas students. In light of the hazards to mental health posed by social isolation among international students, this presentation will offer some potential solutions. The findings of the inquiry will be utilized to create solutions that can assist overseas students in reducing the detrimental impacts of social isolation on their mental health. Compared to other groups, college students’ mental health has not been adequately researched, even though social isolation can be an emotionally and mentally damaging experience. The paper will focus on the various mental health impacts that international college students experience such as depression, anxiety, and long-term psychological harm. An analysis of existing literature on the topic, interviews with international college students, and the mental health resources available to this population are also discussed. The main findings of the research show that international college students living in a foreign country experience significant levels of social isolation due to language barriers and cultural differences

Extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a Thai hospital: a molecular epidemiologic analysis and identification of bactericidal Polymyxin B-based combinations

BACKGROUND: Limited knowledge of the local molecular epidemiology and the paucity of new effective antibiotics has resulted in an immense challenge in the control and treatment of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infections in Thailand. Antimicrobial combination regimens may be the only feasible treatment option in such cases. We sought to characterize the local molecular epidemiology and assess the bactericidal activity of various antibiotics individually and in combination against XDR A. baumannii in a Thai hospital. METHODS: All XDR A. baumannii isolates from Thammasat University Hospital were collected between October 2010 and May 2011. Susceptibility testing was conducted according to reference broth dilution methods. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis was used to genotype the isolates. Carbapenemase genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction. In vitro testing of clinically-relevant concentrations of imipenem, meropenem, doripenem, rifampicin and tigecycline alone and in combination with polymyxin B was conducted using multiple combination bactericidal testing. RESULTS: Forty-nine polymyxin B-susceptible XDR A. baumannii isolates were identified. bla(OXA-23) and bla(OXA-51) genes were detected in all isolates. Eight clonally related clusters were identified, resulting in the initiation of several infection control measures. Imipenem, meropenem, doripenem, rifampicin, and tigecycline in combination with PB respectively, exhibited bactericidal killing in 100%, 100%, 98.0%, 100% and 87.8% isolates respectively at 24 hours. CONCLUSION: Molecular epidemiologic analysis can aid the early detection of infection outbreak within the institution, resulting in the rapid containment of the outbreak. Imipenem/meropenem/rifampicin in combination with polymyxin B demonstrated consistent bactericidal effect against 49 bla(OXA-23)-harbouring XDR A. baumannii clinical isolates, suggesting a role of combination therapy in the treatment of these infections

Keberkesanan Kaedah Pengajaran Needham, STAD dan Konvensional Berpandukan Modul Pendidikan Kesenian terhadap Hasil Kerja Seni dan Minat Murid Sekolah Rendah

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengukur keberkesanan kaedah pengajaran Needham, STAD (Student Team Achievement Division) dan Konvensional berpandukan Modul Pendidikan Kesenian tahun empat terhadap pencapaian hasil kerja seni dan minat murid tahun empat di Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT). Kajian ini menggunakan reka bentuk kaedah kuasi eksperimen dengan membahagikan kepada tiga kumpulan. Kumpulan eksperimen 1 diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah pengajaran model Needham. Kumpulan eksperimen 2 diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah pengajaran model STAD. Manakala kumpulan kawalan pula diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah konvensional. Ketiga-tiga kumpulan ini diajar berpandukan Modul Pendidikan Kesenian tahun empat. Kajian ini melibatkan 92 orang murid tahun empat dari tiga buah Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil di daerah Kuala Muda, Yan negeri Kedah. Kajian ini dijalankan selama lapan minggu. Instrumen yang diguna pakai dalam kajian ini ialah rancangan pengajaran model Needham, model STAD dan konvensional. Selain itu, ujian pra, ujian pasca dan soal selidik minat juga digunakan. Data kajian ini dianalisis dengan menggunakan ujian ANCOVA dan MANCOVA. Dapatan kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa kumpulan eksperimen 1 yang diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah pengajaran Needham menunjukkan peningkatan min skor pencapaian hasil kerja seni secara signifikan berbanding dengan kumpulan eksperimen 2 yang diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah pengajaran model STAD dan kawalan yang diajar dengan menggunakan kaedah pengajaran konvensional. Selain itu, minat murid kumpulan eksperimen 1 terhadap mata pelajaran pendidikan kesenian menunjukkan min skor yang lebih tinggi berbanding dengan kumpulan-kumpulan lain. Akhir sekali, kajian ini memberikan implikasi yang jelas terhadap peningkatan pencapaian hasil kerja seni dan minat murid tahun empat di SJKT dalam mata pelajaran pendidikan kesenian