Singing Classes Help International Students Cope with Stress in China

IntroductionInternational students in China often experience significant psychological challenges during cultural transition. This mixed-methods study investigated whether participation in vocal education programs is associated with psychological wellbeing and examined the statistical mediating roles of emotion regulation and acculturative stress.MethodsIn the quantitative phase, 352 international students from three Nanjing universities completed measures of vocal education participation, psychological wellbeing (WHO-5), emotion regulation (DERS), and acculturative stress (ASSIS). Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed mediation model. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 purposively selected participants.ResultsVocal education participation was positively associated with psychological wellbeing. Emotion regulation and acculturative stress significantly statistically mediated this association, with indirect effects accounting for a substantial proportion of the total effect; the full model explained a meaningful share of the variance in psychological wellbeing. The final model demonstrated excellent fit. Qualitative themes elucidated three primary mechanisms: emotional expression and release, social connection and belonging, and cultural bridging through music, which enriched the quantitative mediation findings.ConclusionVocal education participation is associated with psychological wellbeing, and this association is statistically mediated by higher levels of emotion regulation and lower levels of acculturative stress. University-based vocal programs may represent accessible, culturally resonant activities that are associated with better mental health among international students in Chinese higher education.

Source: Vocal education participation and psychological wellbeing among international students in China: mediating roles of emotion regulation and acculturative stress