International students face unique challenges, placing them at high risk of experiencing mental disorders. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate 20 predetermined, modifiable exposures associated with depressive symptoms. The literature search included cross-sectional, case‒control, and cohort studies in English. Eighty-four studies with 148,510 international tertiary students were included, 43 of which (12,721 participants) were meta-analyzed. Four exposures were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in international tertiary students: acculturative stress was most strongly associated (summary Pearson’s correlation, r = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.39 to 0.49), followed by social support (r = -0.29, 95% CI = -0.35 to -0.22), social connectedness (r = -0.26, 95% CI -0.36 to -0.15), and language (r = -0.18, 95% CI = -0.23 to -0.11). To our knowledge, this systematic review and meta-analysis are the first to quantify associations between modifiable exposures and depressive symptoms, specifically in international tertiary students.

Background: Suicide was the leading cause of death among young Australians aged 15–24 years old in 2023, with 392 lives lost. The continued high numbers of youth suicide demand urgent exploration of alternative approaches to suicide intervention in this population. The United Kingdom-based suicide service Maytree offers an innovative short-term stay for people experiencing suicidal thoughts. Grounded by the Maytree model-of-care, the aim of the current study was to co-design a short-stay service responsive to the specific needs of suicidal young people. Methods: Semi-structured and focus group interviews with young people (n = 38), caregivers (n = 11) and key local stakeholders (n = 26) in Perth, Western Australia. Results: Deductive and inductive thematic analysis identified 8 core themes: benefits, service design, staffing, operations, referrals, challenges and safety, measures of success, and language. Endorsement of the Luminos model as beneficial to young people experiencing thoughts of suicide was nearly unanimous. Conclusions: These findings provide actionable insights for the development of alternative, youth-informed suicide support services.

Despite the years of clinical research, prevention, intervention, and postvention efforts, the global suicide rates have been largely unchanging for the past 20 years (Glenn et al., 2020), and rema...