Self-Esteem as a Mediator between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Adaptation, and Psychological Well-Being among International Students: A Study of ASEAN and Non-ASEAN Students in Thailand

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate how self-esteem mediated the relationship between Emotional Intelligence (EI) and adjustment—academic adaptation and psychological well-being—among international graduate students in South Thailand. The study also differentiated between ASEAN and non-ASEAN groups, analysing data from 151 students using path analysis. The results demonstrated that self-esteem fully mediated the effects of EI on both academic adaptation and psychological well-being across the entire sample. Specifically, for ASEAN students, both EI and self-esteem were crucial for academic adaptation; EI positively influenced self-esteem, which in turn enhanced psychological well-being. Conversely, for non-ASEAN students, while self-esteem significantly mediated academic adaptation, it did not significantly impact psychological well-being. The cross-sectional design and small sample size of this study are its drawbacks, which may restrict the findings' the capacity to be generalized and interpreted causally. These results underscore the importance of considering self-esteem in educational strategies to enhance academic and psychological outcomes for international students in diverse settings.