Migration and mental health: a comparative study of depression rate among immigrant Iranian students

There are many factors to cause depression in international students including leaving home & family, housing & money, study, relationships, and culture & identity There is no single causeand risk factor of depression. Instead, depression results from a combination of genetic, biochemical, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can run in a foreign country to international students, and depression generally starts between the ages of 15 and 30, exactly the same age, a person can be a foreign student in oversea countries. International students face multiple extra challenges in adjusting to a new culture and often having to operate using a foreign language. Being an international student can be an exciting and richly rewarding experience. However, many international students underestimate the level of stress these extra challenges will raise, leaving them potentially vulnerable to depression. For example, many are used to being high achieving students and may have unrealistic expectations that the cultural adjustments won't have any impact on their academic success.

This paper discusses the state, effective factors and prevalence of depression among international students. It asses the depression rate among 50 Iranian students in Bangalore University (India) and 50 Iranian students Shahrekord University (Iran) [including 25 male and 25 female students];also, Beck depression inventory (BDI) is used in present study. After theoretical and statistical analysis of the study, the author focuses on its conclusion and recommends some possible treatments and solutions according to attained results.