Effect of Chinese Nursing Students’ University Adjustment and Acculturative Stress on Depression

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of acculturative stress and university adjustment on depression among Chinese nursing students in Korea. Methods: Participants were 49 Chinese nursing students enrolled at K University in G city. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure the level of depression, the Acculturative Stress Scale for International Students (ASSIS) was used to assess acculturative stress, and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) was used to assess university adjustment. Data were collected from October 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and analyzed using t-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS version. 29.0. Results: The mean scores for Chinese nursing students were 69.75±3.98 out of 180 for acculturative stress, 87.70±2.10 out of 120 for university adjustment, and 10.67±1.48 out of 60 for depression. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between acculturative stress and depression (r=.55, p<.001), while a negative correlation was observed between acculturative stress and university adjustment (r=-.65, p<.001), and between university adjustment and depression (r=-.48, p<.001). Acculturative stress (t=4.53, p=.001) was identified as a significant influencing factor of depression of Chinese nursing students. Models that included the variables explained 30% of the variance for the level of depression. These findings suggest that acculturative stress had an impact on the depression of Chinese nursing students. Conclusions: Therefore, it is necessary to develop educational programs to enhance the acculturation of Chinese nursing students. Additionally, further studies are needed to explore the variables that influence the acculturation of Chinese students in Korea.