MULTICULTURAL COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH OF INTERREGIONAL STUDENTS

Abstract

Interregional student mobility in Indonesia, where students frequently migrate from their home provinces to study in other culturally distinct regions, presents unique challenges for psychological adjustment. Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and acculturative stress are common in this population. Multicultural Counseling Competence (MCC) has been proposed as a key factor in improving counseling effectiveness in diverse contexts. This article presents a systematic literature review of 42 studies published between 2010 and 2023 concerning MCC and student mental health, with particular attention to the Indonesian context. Sources were retrieved from Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar using PRISMA guidelines for review studies. The results indicate that MCC significantly influences student well-being by fostering stronger therapeutic alliances, reducing counseling microaggressions, and promoting culturally sensitive interventions. While international evidence on MCC and international students is robust, research on interregional students in Indonesia remains limited. This review highlights the urgent need to integrate MCC training into Indonesian counselor education and to design culturally responsive interventions that address discrimination and acculturation stress. Implications for counselor education, university policies, and future research are discussed.