Moving from Disconnection to Connection: Understanding the experiences of South Asian International Students in the United States using a Relational Cultural Framework

Abstract

South Asian international students represent a growing yet understudied demographic in U.S. higher education. While these students are often academically successful, they face unique psychosocial challenges, including acculturative stress, cultural dissonance, and systemic marginalization that can adversely affect their mental health and well-being. Drawing on Relational Cultural Theory (RCT), this dissertation explores how the quality of relational connections with peers, mentors, and community members (i.e., relational health) influences psychological distress and life satisfaction among South Asian international students. The dissertation consists of two manuscripts: a conceptual paper that situates RCT as a culturally congruent and socially just framework for understanding international students' well-being, and an empirical study that investigates relational health as a moderating variable in the relationship between acculturative stress and psychological health outcomes. Using survey data from 210 South Asian international students in the U.S., the study found that higher levels of peer and community relational health significantly buffered the negative effects of acculturative stress on psychological distress and enhanced life satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of not only social support quantity but also the quality of relational connections in fostering resilience and well-being. The study advances a culturally responsive framework that can inform counseling psychology practices and institutional policies aimed at supporting international student success and mental health.