Over four months, The Diamondback reporter Winter Hawk explored how international students address mental health.
Hawk interviewed 11 students born abroad and who are currently or recently enrolled at the University of Maryland, as well as 11 experts based in or working on mental health programs and research in each country.
Student interviews dissected how cultural norms and government intervention influenced their mental health journeys and formed their understanding of how to approach mental health topics. Multiple experts helped contextualize student experiences and highlight the current nature of mental health stigma, diagnosis and treatment in these countries.
This project does not capture the experiences of every international student, nor of every person who is a part of the cultures of the countries represented.
This eight-part series comprises profiles on students from Asia, Latin America, West Africa, South Asia and Europe.
This project serves as a way for students to openly discuss their mental health journeys and normalize conversations about mental health struggles. In addition, these stories seek to inform Terps about health services and cultural traditions beyond College Park while spotlighting the experiences of international students, a student population that provides diverse voices to our university.
