Why Mental Health Matters During Study Abroad Trips

Mental health is especially important during study abroad trips, where students face unique challenges like culture shock, language barriers, and being far from home. These stressors can impact their well-being and ability to fully enjoy the experience and get the most learning out of it. In addition to their role as educators, faculty leaders must play a key role in creating a supportive environment during these programs.

• Challenges Students Face:

  • Isolation and being overwhelmed in unfamiliar settings

  • Difficulty adjusting to new cultures or languages

  • Homesickness or lack of familiar support systems

• How Faculty Leaders Can Help:

  • Check in regularly with students one-on-one and in group settings

  • Encourage open conversations about mental health, feelings, and emotions

  • Promote self-care practices

  • Recognize signs of stress

A faculty leader’s role goes beyond academics—they are mentors and advocates for students’ well-being. By fostering a positive and inclusive atmosphere, they help students navigate challenges and make the most of their time abroad. Prioritizing mental health on these trips ensures students stay healthy, engaged, and ready to learn.

Healthy Habits to Promote Mental Well-Being

Promoting mental well-being during study abroad trips starts with healthy habits. Here’s how students and faculty leaders can work together:

For Individuals:

• Eat balanced meals and stay hydrated - groups should try to eat breakfast together and make it a time for open discussion. Faculty could ask questions specifically about how students feel or things they don’t understand. Remind students to drink water during the day, especially on physically demanding days.

• Get enough sleep and rest - faculty should chose lodging away from nightlife spots and encourage early bed times. Starting daily activities at 9 or 10, but not earlier, will allow students to get more sleep.

• Practice mindfulness techniques like meditation or deep breathing - in addition to having their own meditation practice faculty could lead daily meditation (even 5 minutes goes a long way).

• Balance workloads to prevent mental burnout - design travel itineraries considering not just their physical strenuousness, but also mental load

For Teams and Communities:

• Encourage open conversations about mental health to reduce stigma - faculty should share their own feelings to encourage students to share

• Ensuring students have time to relax and explore - free time during a faculty led programs is as important as structured programming. Students often learn more when they have time and space to process what they are seeing.

• Organize wellness activities, like yoga sessions or mental health workshops, to bring the group together - this can be designed as part of the program from the planning stages

By focusing on these habits, faculty leaders help students stay healthy, happy, and ready to make the most of their study abroad experience.

Types of Necessary Aid Leaders Might Have to Provide

In addition to promoting healthy habits, faculty leaders must also be prepared to provide direct support when needed. This support can come in many forms:

Emotional Support:

• Practice active listening and show empathy - often times just getting their thoughts out will help students process a challenging situation.

• Create a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their concerns - students leaders can be a great resource as go-betweens with faculty

Practical Support:

• Connect students with mental health resources, such as local or virtual counseling services, clinics, or hotlines - check with your college or university what resources are available to student on study abroad programs

• Create assignments that ask students to reflect on their experience and their related feelings - a daily journaling assignment can be a great destressor in addition to helping students learn more

• Be flexible with workloads or deadlines to ease stress and prevent burnout - especially for students showing signs of stress, you can delay the deadline for an assignment or otherwise alleviate the stress point during the program

Educational Support:

• Provide training on mental health awareness and self-care - consider mental health first aid training for faculty leaders

• Share resources, like guides on stress management or mindfulness techniques - a variety of resources is available from the CDC

Crisis Intervention:

• Recognize signs of mental health crises, such as severe anxiety, depression, or burnout

  • Emotional distress: Intense sadness, anxiety, fear, anger, or hopelessness 

  • Changes in mood: Sudden or extreme mood swings, from euphoria to depression 

  • Cognitive difficulties: Confusion, difficulty concentrating, memory loss 

  • Behavioral changes: Withdrawal from social activities, neglect of personal hygiene, increased substance use 

  • Suicidal thoughts or actions: Talking about wanting to die, making plans to harm oneself, or engaging in self-harm 

  • Hallucinations or delusions: Seeing or hearing things that are not real, or having false beliefs 

  • Paranoia or distrust: Feeling like others are out to get them, or having excessive fear and suspicion 

  • Isolation: Withdrawing from friends, family, and social support networks 

  • Psychosis: Loss of touch with reality, experiencing hallucinations or delusions 

  • Additional Warning Signs:

    • Changes in sleep or appetite: Insomnia, excessive sleeping, or significant changes in eating habits 

    • Increased agitation or restlessness: Feeling anxious, jittery, or unable to sit still 

    • Difficulty making decisions: Feeling overwhelmed or unable to make simple choices 

    • Neglecting responsibilities: Missing work, school, or other obligations 

    • Changes in appearance: Neglecting personal hygiene or wearing unusual clothing 

• Know when and how to escalate to professional help - faculty should know who to contact in case of recognizing signs a mental health crisis. The university international education coordinator is a good first point of contact. They will be able to direct faculty toward additional resources and help. The travel insurance hotline can also be a good resource, as well as third party provider (e.g., Learn from Travel) staff.

By offering a mix of emotional, practical, educational, and crisis support, faculty leaders create a safety net that helps students navigate challenges and thrive during their study abroad experience.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Faculty leaders often face challenges when supporting mental health during study abroad trips. Here’s how to address common issues:

Stigma Around Mental Health:

• Normalize conversations about well-being by sharing personal experiences - this may be challenging for some faculty, but imagine how much more challenging it is for students

• Create a safe, open environment where students feel comfortable discussing their feelings

Limited Resources or Funding:

• Use free tools like mindfulness apps or online resources from the CDC or other health institutions

• Organize low-cost group activities, such as yoga sessions or nature walks

• Partner with local organizations to provide additional support

Balancing Support with Academic/Professional Demands:

• Set clear boundaries while staying flexible with deadlines or schedules

• Offer mental health days to help students recharge without falling behind

By tackling these challenges, faculty leaders can create a supportive space where students feel valued and understood. Small steps, like open conversations and creative solutions, make a big difference in fostering a healthy, positive experience for everyone.

Mental health is key to success in academic and professional settings, especially during study abroad trips. By promoting healthy habits, offering support, and addressing challenges, faculty leaders can help students thrive. Take proactive steps—like open conversations, flexible policies, and regular check-ins—to create a positive environment.

Reflect on this: What’s one step you’ll take to prioritize mental health in your next program? Small actions can make a big difference for your team’s well-being.