Psychological Support for International Students in Florence

Studying abroad can involve both excitement and strain; difficulty adjusting is not a personal failure.

Moving to Florence to study may bring independence, opportunity and new relationships. It can also involve academic pressure, homesickness, language and cultural fatigue, financial uncertainty, loneliness and the loss of familiar routines. Opposite feelings can coexist: being grateful for the opportunity does not prevent someone from struggling.

Acculturative stress is not a diagnosis

Acculturative stress describes strain related to adapting to a different cultural environment. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that, among international students, higher acculturative stress was associated with poorer psychological outcomes. This is a group-level association, not proof that every international student is at greater risk or that culture explains every difficulty.

Research also highlights protective factors such as social support and connectedness. Psychological support should not reduce structural problems, like housing, discrimination, finances or visa concerns, to an individual lack of resilience. Sometimes the appropriate response includes practical university, medical, legal or community services alongside psychological work.

When it may help to speak to a psychologist

Consider seeking support when stress is persistent or begins to affect:

• sleep, appetite or concentration;

• attendance and academic work;

• relationships or social withdrawal;

• alcohol or substance use;

• the ability to manage ordinary tasks;

• hope, safety or thoughts about self-harm.

You do not need to wait until the situation becomes severe. An initial consultation can clarify the problem, identify resources and determine whether this professional or another service is more appropriate.

What to expect

The first meeting may explore your current situation, support network, relevant history, goals and preferred format. Fees, confidentiality and its legal limits should be explained in advance. If you are attending online, the psychologist should also discuss privacy, your physical location and what to do if the connection fails or an emergency arises.

Marco Zuccon is a psychologist registered with the Order of Psychologists of Tuscany, no. 11095. Psychological consultations are available in English. I see clients in Via Bonifacio Lupi 14, Florence, and online. To ask about availability, use the contact page, MioDottore or GuidaPsicologi.

This is general information, not a diagnostic tool or emergency service. If you may act on thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Sources

Soufi Amlashi R., Majzoobi M., Forstmeier S. (2024), The relationship between acculturative stress and psychological outcomes in international students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403807

Tan S.R. et al. (2025), Understanding the risk and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms in international students: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of International Students

WHO — Mental health of adolescents and young people