Psychological safety and stress management among IISMA 2024 awardees at Yale University

Abstract

International student mobility exposes students to unfamiliar academic cultures, intensive workloads, language demands, and psychological pressures, making psychological safety and effective stress management essential for successful adaptation. This study aimed to identify the academic and psychological pressures experienced by Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) 2024 awardees at Yale University, examine how psychological safety was established, and explain its relationship with stress management. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, involving 15 Indonesian awardees from nine universities. Data were collected during a three-month Yale Summer Session through participant observation, informal open-ended interviews, personal reflective journals, and relevant secondary sources. Source triangulation and thematic analysis were conducted to organize the findings into themes of academic pressure, psychological safety, coping strategies, and relationships among constructs. The findings revealed that pressures emerged from intensive learning demands, English-language challenges, cultural differences, self-imposed expectations, and concurrent academic obligations at students’ home universities. Empathetic lecturers, inclusive classroom norms, two-way communication, and opportunities for self-expression strengthened psychological safety and encouraged active participation. Students managed stress through cognitive reframing, time management, journaling, self-reflection, and peer support. In conclusion, psychological safety functioned as a stress buffer that enhanced resilience and engagement, while adaptive coping strategies reciprocally reinforced students’ sense of security within a cross-cultural academic learning environment.