International students’ well-being

Tallinn University welcomes a diverse community of international exchange students each year. While highly enriching, the transition to a new country, culture, and academic environment can be profoundly stressful, often leading to mental health challenges. Accessing appropriate mental health support in a foreign country, especially with language and cultural barriers, can be particularly difficult.

Projekti eesmärk

The project, originally titled "Bridging Worlds: Art Therapy for International Students," underwent a significant change in focus at its inception. Although the initial aim was to explore art therapy interventions, the absence of art therapy students in the project team necessitated a pivot. Consequently, the team shifted their focus to a broader investigation of the general mental health and well-being of international students at Tallinn University (TLU). The project aimed to understand how international students cope with adaptation challenges on their own and to evaluate the support systems currently provided by the university.

  • To map the current situation, the team conducted a survey among TLU’s international and exchange students.
  • In addition to internal research, the project team investigated how universities around the world support their international students. The portfolio presents a comprehensive overview of these global practices, suggesting that Tallinn University could adopt several of these successful models to enhance student well-being.

Projekti tulemused

The survey revealed that international students at TLU struggle significantly with stress (49%) and homesickness, yet only 31% use university support services due to low visibility. Students identified a need for more social events (55%) and accessible counseling.

To address these gaps, the project additionally highlights some adaptable global practices: implementing 24/7 crisis hotlines and AI chat support, establishing anonymous peer-to-peer helplines, and organizing dedicated mental health awareness campaigns to destigmatize help-seeking.

Toimumise aeg
Sügis 2025/2026

Projekti liikmed

Antropoloogia (1)
Õigusteadus (1)
Inimese ja arvuti interaktsioon (1)
Kirjandus-, visuaalkultuuri ja filmiteooria (1)
Interdistsiplinaarsed sotsiaalteadused - Artes Liberales (1)
Psühholoogia (1)
Kommunikatsioonijuhtimine (1)