2.1 Disparities Between Domestic and Cross-Border Student Help-Seeking Patterns
The structural interaction between university support systems and undergraduate degree completion reveals a critical vulnerability in modern higher education management. Empirical evidence demonstrates that students experiencing unmanaged psychological conditions exhibit lower degree completion rates compared to peers without diagnosed conditions, with academic retention worsening as the severity of the mental health condition increases [1]. In English-taught undergraduate degree programs, this academic vulnerability is magnified by distinct systemic hurdles that inhibit students from seeking clinical assistance. While university campuses frequently advertise institutional counseling units, international cohorts enrolled in cross-border degree programs remain consistently less likely to access available mental health provisions than domestic students [2]. This disconnect highlights an institutional failure to bridge linguistic and administrative navigation gaps. The resulting underutilisation of clinical support structures leaves cross-border bachelor candidates disproportionately exposed to psychological deterioration, which directly impedes their persistence through multi-year academic curricula [1], [2]. Consequently, higher education systems must reconfigure their clinical pathways from passive availability toward proactive, culturally integrated institutional care models.