Taking care of your mental health as an international student
October 10, 2025
For World Mental Health Day, #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Arya Nur Güneş shares her experiences of managing her mental health as an international student studying in the UK and offers advice for other students on accessing support.
What unique challenges do international students face in managing their mental health and accessing support they need?
We, as human beings, are naturally creatures that crave connection and community; when an international student first sets foot in a different country, they are faced with the responsibility of creating all of this from scratch, which takes time and effort. This process can instigate feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can make them more prone to struggling with their mental health.
Looking for support can bring along additional challenges such as not being able to access certain resources due to being non-UK citizens, or said resources not being helpful because of a significant difference in cultural approach to finding solutions. When supporting an international student, there must be an awareness of the background that they come from and the experiences that they bring with them.
What is your own experience of managing your mental health as an international student?
To this day I am learning new things about how to take care of my mental health as an international student. As it is with all international students, my experiences have been shaped by constantly learning to adapt to ever-changing circumstances.
While in the past I fell into the trap of thinking that there weren’t any resources that I could take advantage of, now in my final year, I am happy to see that there are so many organizations that are so keen on helping international students. However, I also know how difficult it can feel to reach out to these organizations. Being so deeply vulnerable regarding our struggles can feel very scary in such a new environment.
To any international students, I want to take this opportunity to assure you that your vulnerability and courage to share your experiences can be your biggest point of connection with others like yourselves. This can be current or previous international students, but most importantly, it will be people who relate to your experiences. The best thing that I have done to help myself through those times has been to let myself be helped. Resources are available to you, you are not alone.
Do you have any advice for universities, colleges or other international students on how to manage their mental health?
In dealing with mental health issues, the steps that seem small are the ones that make the biggest difference, therefore I would simply encourage universities and staff to take direct interest in your international students. They could be yearning to be able to speak to someone they can trust about what is going on in their minds - providing them with a safe environment to open up is the first step to helping them improve their mental health.
This is a space where working for international students can also be working with international students; while signposting them to the right resources is crucial, encouraging them to use those resources requires connection and a common ground. Be genuinely interested in what they have to say, be a listening ear for their struggles.
For more information on managing your mental health and accessing support as an international student, visit our page on Mental health support in the UK.
Don't miss our other blogs in the series:
- University support services should clearly communicate that helping hands are located across campus
- Experiences of managing mental health through grief
