On November 29, 2019, FH international high school invited Lydia Yang, director of Canadian youth psychological care center and senior adolescent psychotherapist, to deliver a public welfare lecture on the importance of international students’ mental health.

In her talk, she highlights the fact that international students who are often away from their parents tend to easily become victims of psychological stress that prevents them from realizing their actual potential and hence, accomplishing their life goals. She emphasizes the fact that it is very important for each and every individual to talk about the importance of expressing feelings and seeking psychological help if necessary.

Moreover, in order to understand the way we feel and grant support to those who need us during their times of emotional turbulence, we need to understand the idea of what exactly is mental health?

The world health organization defines mental health as “the ability to cope with life’s stresses, to fulfill one’s potential, to work effectively and to contribute to society”. We need to understand that our mental or emotional health is as important as our physical health and hence, deserves an equal amount of importance and care.

 Yang also explores some of the potential factors that can influence a child’s mental health. One of the factors explored was interpersonal communication. When students especially arrive in a new country, they may encounter the phenomenon of “culture shock” and find it difficult to adapt to the new culture and life. In addition, sometimes, parents of overseas students tend to have high expectations from their children, which makes them prone to experience great emotional distress which could lead the child to feel all the more lonely and unworthy of accomplishing their life goals. 

FH International High School has developed and implemented a guidance counseling program to help our international students through their high school education. Our students are always welcome to visit our counselors at school and get support conveniently if they need.