Voices in transition : a qualitative exploration of mental health literacy, disclosure, and help-seeking behaviours among Algerian international students between the UK and Algeria

Boussaoui, Nesrine

Thesis

Voices in transition : a qualitative exploration of mental health literacy, disclosure, and help-seeking behaviours among Algerian international students between the UK and Algeria

Download PDF

Creator

Boussaoui, Nesrine

Rights statement

Strathclyde Thesis Copyright

Awarding institution

University of Strathclyde

Date of award

2026

Thesis identifier

T18136

Person Identifier (Local)

201953778

Qualification Level

Doctoral (Postgraduate)

Qualification Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department, School or Faculty

Abstract

Mental health challenges among international students have received increasing attention; however, little is known about the unique experiences of Algerian students who pursue postgraduate studies abroad and subsequently return home. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring the mental health literacy, disclosure practices, help-seeking behaviours, coping strategies, and reintegration experiences of Algerian international postgraduate students across three interlinked qualitative studies. Guided by a critical constructivist epistemology and relativist ontology, and employing thematic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis, the research adopted a multiperspectival design. Study 1 examined the lived experiences of Algerian international students in UK universities, highlighting barriers to mental health literacy, stigma surrounding disclosure, and reliance on informal coping strategies over professional support. Study 2 compared the perspectives of UK-based student support professionals with and without experience of working with Algerian and Arab students, revealing gaps in cultural competence, the need for more inclusive wellbeing provision, and tensions between institutional frameworks and students’ cultural expectations. Study 3 focused on Algerian students who returned home after completing their studies in the UK, showing that while international exposure enhanced their awareness of mental health, reintegration posed new challenges, including reverse culture shock, re-stigmatisation, and difficulties in sustaining help-seeking practices. Across the three studies, findings demonstrate that AIS’ mental health experiences are shaped by intersecting cultural, linguistic, and religious identities, as well as by institutional and societal discourses on mental health. The thesis contributes theoretically by advancing a constructivist understanding of mental health literacy and disclosure within transnational contexts, methodologically by triangulating perspectives from students, professionals, and returnees, and practically by informing culturally sensitive policies and support services both in the UK and Algeria. Rather than viewing non-disclosure as a deficit or lack of awareness, the thesis demonstrates that distress, disclosure, and silence are shaped by emotionally conditional meaning-making. In this study, this concept is used to describe how individuals interpret, manage, and communicate psychological distress in relation to anticipated emotional reactions, social evaluation, and culturally embedded norms. Expressions of distress are therefore not treated as purely internal states, but as relational and context-sensitive practices shaped by expectations of recognition, risks of judgement, and shifting power across transnational contexts. This research highlights the importance of contextualizing international students’ wellbeing within their cultural, social, and post-migration trajectories, offering recommendations for universities, policymakers, and mental health practitioners to enhance the support of Algerian and wider Arab student populations.

Advisor / supervisor