Date
6-2020
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision (PhD)
Chair
John Thomas
Keywords
Acculturative Stress, Loneliness, Depressive Symptoms, Sense of Meaning, Religious Faith, International Students
Disciplines
Counseling
Recommended Citation
Marques Luz, Heyde, "Acculturative Stress, Loneliness, and Depressive Symptoms in International Students: A Moderation Analysis of Religious Faith and Sense of Meaning" (2020). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 2551.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/2551
Abstract
This study examined religious faith and sense of meaning as moderators in the relationship between acculturative stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms in international students (IS). This study explores the unique challenges faced by IS when attending higher education institutions in the United States that derive from acculturative stress and contribute to feelings of loneliness and depressive symptoms. A quantitative research design using linear multiple regression models was employed to investigate the interplay between the variables. The responses of 80 participants were analyzed. The findings indicated there is a significant relationship between acculturative stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms. Moreover, sense of meaning moderated the relationship between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. However, it was found that sense of meaning and religious faith combined did not moderate the relationship between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. It was also found that sense of meaning and religious faith did not interact in the mediating relationship between acculturative stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms.
