Knowledge Bank

International students face unique life stressors that put them at an increased risk for exhibiting depressive symptoms while they are in college. Due to a changing economy, Spain has seen a large recent increase in international students. Along with stress, cognitive style (i.e., the way a person thinks about the world) has been established as a risk factor for the development of depressive symptoms. In line with diathesis stress models of depression, the purpose of this study was to examine international student stress, cognitive style, and the interaction of these risk factors as predictors of depressive symptoms in international students in Spain. Four brief questionnaires were administered to 163 international students in Spain. Both cognitive style and stress were significant predictors of concurrent depressive symptoms, but the interaction of these predictors was not statistically significant. Directions for future research identifying risks for depressive symptoms in the growing population of international students in Spain are discussed.