Social connectedness and isolation among East Asian international students: An integrative review of mental health implications

This integrative review examines how social connectedness and isolation influence the mental health of East Asian international students in culturally specific ways. While international student well-being has received growing attention, few studies have focused on the emotional, cultural, and institutional dimensions of relational experiences. Drawing on 15 empirical studies published between 2010 and 2025, this review follows Whittemore and Knafl’s integrative methodology and adheres to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Thematic synthesis revealed four interrelated domains: (1) dimensions of social connectedness, (2) cultural norms and emotional inaccessibility, (3) family expectations and internalized restraint, and (4) coping strategies and resilience pathways. The findings indicate that East Asian students’ psychological well-being is shaped less by the number of social ties and more by their emotional quality, cultural congruence, and institutional accessibility. Many students maintained frequent but emotionally shallow connections due to stigma, interpersonal norms, and mistrust of formal support. This review focuses on undergraduate and graduate students attending universities and four-year colleges in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Cultural norms discouraged emotional disclosure, while family pressures reinforced silence. Informal and culturally familiar strategies were widely used but not always sufficient to address deeper psychological distress. These patterns suggest a need for mental health services that emphasize emotional accessibility, cultural alignment, and institutional trust. This review offers a culturally grounded framework to inform support practices in increasingly internationalized academic contexts.