The relationship between acculturative stress and depression among international students in China: a moderated chain mediation model

Background: Depression among international students in China warrants attention. Although an increasing number of studies have highlighted depression and its potential protective factors, fewer studies have simultaneously analyzed both individual and social factors to elucidate the pathways that predict depression. Furthermore, there exists a limited body of literature on depression among international students in China, both domestically and abroad. Methods: A total of 320 international students from China completed the Acculturative Stress Scale, the Resilience Scale, the Brief Coping Style Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale and the Depression Scale. Results: Acculturative stress was positively correlated with depression among international students. This association was jointly mediated by psychological resilience and coping styles, with the mediators operating both independently and sequentially. Moreover, perceived social support moderates the serial mediating effect of psychological resilience and coping styles between acculturative stress and depression. Conclusion: A moderated chain mediation model was developed to investigate the mediating role of resilience and coping styles and the moderating role of perceived social support. These findings provide theoretical and practical implications for preventing depression and better managing acculturative stress among international students in China.