Emotional well-being of student youth in Kazakhstan: socio-psychological verification in a cross-cultural context

Abstract

In the conditions of globalization and intensification of academic mobility, the problem of students’
emotional well-being acquires special significance and relevance, especially in the multicultural educational
environment of Kazakhstan. Emotional well-being, as an integral indicator of the psychological
state of personality, is closely related to the quality of adaptation, the level of social support, cultural
attitudes and interpersonal communications. The purpose of the present study is socio-psychological
verification of the construct of emotional well-being taking into account the cross-cultural aspect on a
sample of Kazakhstani and foreign students. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the identification of
socio-cultural factors determining the level of emotional well-being, as well as in the empirical comparison
of indicators between different ethnic groups. The study involved 227 respondents – Kazakhstani
and foreign students. A comprehensive empirical diagnosis was implemented using six valid methods
aimed at assessing affective states, strategies of emotional regulation, self-efficacy in the sphere of emotions,
level of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as perception of social support and cultural orientations.
Methodology included the use of standardized scales as well as statistical methods of analysis. The
results showed that the emotional well-being of international students depends to a greater extent on the
level of cultural adaptation and the quality of social support. The obtained data have high theoretical and
practical significance: they can be applied in the development of psychological assistance programs and
adaptation trainings for students. The work contributes to the development of cross-cultural and educational
psychology, actualizing the problem of stability of emotional state in a multicultural environment.
Keywords: emotional well-being, cross-cultural study, students, social-psychological verification,
predictors.