Unveiling “We See Overseas”

A Hub for Mental Health Empowerment

Author: Zihan Yang

Layout Designer: Julianna Angela Constantino Santos

In the hustle and bustle of pursuing dreams overseas, it's not uncommon for students to find themselves in a delicate balancing act–juggling academics, cultural adjustments, and the undeniable stress of being far from home. Picture this: a bright-eyed international student, eager to conquer the world, armed with dreams and a suitcase. Little did they know that the journey ahead would not only be a test of academic prowess but also a formidable challenge for their physical and mental well-being.

Founder Luella and creative designer Julianna building the website featuring Navya's photography

This is why “WeSeeOverseas” was created–to build a socially supportive community for students studying abroad to share their feelings and struggles. We are dedicated to exploring, creating, and imparting practical ways to empower youth to develop healthy ways to cope with stress, interpersonal relationships, emotional regulations, and achieve general mental health and well-being.

In this highly competitive and fast-paced world, adolescent mental health disorders account for a significant portion of the global disease burden. According to estimates, one in seven teenagers suffered from mental illnesses in 2019. This translates to an estimated 166 million teenagers worldwide, consisting of 89 million boys and 77 million girls. These statistics indicate an emerging demand for psychological support for vulnerable youth dealing with mental health challenges. To find out how overseas students are coping with their psychological stresses currently, we conducted an online survey. The survey explores sources of stress among international students, its psychological impact, counseling preferences, stress relief methods, and desired support. The results show that almost all the respondents (89.74%) indicate a desire to have some kind of psychological counseling or assistance in their school. This underscores the need to foster a supportive community where students can openly discuss challenges, share real-life experiences, and inspire others facing similar struggles.

Results from a survey, investigating the psychological stress of overseas students

As the founder of “We See Overseas”, I was inspired by my own challenges in my move overseas. Being the first Chinese scholar in a global Indian School in Singapore was very challenging in terms of accommodating to the hostel environment, adjusting to new culture, planning time for academics and extracurricular. I mean, IB is tough and quite time-consuming right? I even ended my one-year long distance relationship. That was even tougher to handle…But! Coming from these experiences, I realize as international students, we have to take on the responsibility to take care of ourselves both physically and mentally. And sometimes, it can get hard when you are all alone in a foreign country. These thoughts prompted me to create the website “We See Overseas”. While my story is just one incident, there are still thousands and millions of overseas students who might be struggling just like me. So, we made this website for you to share your thoughts, feelings, or experiences. We hope you can overcome your struggles by opening up and connecting with others here at “We See Overseas”.

We are here for you, always.

For free resources of mental health support, please visit our self care resources page