Acculturative stress, collective coping, and psychological well-being of Chinese international students

This study investigated the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological well-being and the mediating and moderating role of collective coping strategies on the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological well-being for Chinese international college students in the southern region of the United States. In particular, this study examined: (a) the associations between acculturative stress and positive and negative components of psychological well-being, (b) the influence of stress appraisal on acculturative stress, (c) the moderating effect of collective coping strategies on the relationship between acculturative stress and different components of psychological well-being, and (d) the mediating effect of collective coping strategies on the relationship between acculturative stress and different components of psychological well-being. The results indicated that Chinese international students encountered acculturative stress, utilized collective coping strategies, and experienced both positive and negative components of psychological well-being. As expected, acculturative stress was negatively associated with positive psychological outcomes and positively associated with negative psychological outcomes. Stress appraisal was predictive of acculturative stress. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation suggested that a two-component solution (internal acculturative stress and external acculturative stress) more effectively and efficiently captured the six acculturative stress subscales previously proposed. A second principal component analysis with varimax rotation suggested that a two-component solution (active collective coping and passive collective coping) also more effectively and efficiently described the previously proposed seven collective coping subscales. Neither active nor passive collective coping strategies moderated the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological outcomes. However, passive collective coping (the combination of forbearance and fatalism coping strategies) partially mediated the relationship between external acculturative stress (the combination of perceived discrimination, perceived hate, and fear) and depression, and the relationship between external acculturative stress and anxiety for Chinese international students. Implications of these findings for clinical research and future empirical research are discussed.