Integrating Psychoeducational Program with Short-Term Therapy for Asian International College Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Mental health challenges are a significant concern for Asian international students in the United States, who face unique cultural, linguistic, and socio-political pressures. Despite a high prevalence of these challenges, this demographic exhibits low utilization of mental health services due to various barriers. This study explores the effectiveness of integrating psychoeducation with short-term individual therapy to improve mental health outcomes among Asian international students in the U.S. Participants (N = 44) completed pre-intervention assessments (i.e., measures of depression, anxiety, stress, sleep, attitudes toward mental health help-seeking, acculturation) and were then randomized into two groups: psychoeducation plus therapy or therapy-only. Both groups underwent eight therapy sessions. Post-intervention, participants repeated the same assessments. Results indicated that the psychoeducation plus therapy group showed significant improvements in anxiety and sleep compared to the therapy- only group. While there was no significant difference in overall DASS-21 scores or its depression and stress subscales, the psychoeducation plus therapy group exhibited significantly better mental health knowledge and attitudes but no significant change in acculturation. Both groups demonstrated low agreement in therapeutic alliance ratings, with slightly better agreement in the therapy-only group. This study underscores the value of integrating psychoeducation with therapy to enhance mental health outcomes and attitudes among Asian international students. These findings advocate for culturally sensitive psychoeducational interventions to address the unique challenges faced by this population in university counseling settings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]