Depression is one of the many problems that international students face. It is a problem that affects their daily activities and, if left unattended, can cause a lot of harm. This is what we call the “cold” of mental illness (Mental Health Info & Links, 2001). Depression has been compared to 100 other diseases and has been ranked as the fourth largest global burden by the World Health Organization (WHO). There is concern that this will come second if diagnosis, treatment or prevention are not improved. Depression causes suffering and anxiety in individuals, families, friends and communities. Families and employers expand their personal and economic resources to cope with the person's depression and depressive symptoms. A major concern is that early depression signals future recurrent or chronic depression that becomes increasingly debilitating (Greden, 2001). This article will focus on the impact of depression on international students as well as the triggers and causes of depression. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF DEPRESSION AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS? The causes of depression among international students revolve around the number of friends, financial difficulties. , language barriers, academic difficulties, perceived discrimination and culture shock. Culture shock includes all those beliefs and expectations about how people should look and act, social organization, relationships, and the rules that govern kinship systems. It also includes ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and learned ideas, customs, and behaviors that have become second nature to a person (Fernandez p.158). Culture shock occurs when the student discovers that all the behaviors and skills he or she had are no longer accepted in the new environment.Language...... middle of paper ...... lifespan perspective. New York: Springer. Tam K Dao, Donghyuck Lee and Huang. .L ,Chang. (2007). Level of acculturation, perceived English proficiency, level of perceived social support, and depression among Taiwanese international students. Journal of University Students, 41(2), 287-295. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1324485551).William. World Bank (2003). Depression among students: a challenge for educational leadership. International Review of Human Sciences and Peace, 19(1), 50-52. Retrieved July 28, 2010, from University Research Library. (Document ID: 676587181). Mallinckrodt, B. and Leong, FTL (1992). International graduate students, stress and social support. Journal of College Student Development, 33, 71-78. WHO, World Health Report, (1997). Accessed July 28, 2010 http://www.who.int/whr/1997/exsum97 e.htm