Expatriation as A moderator in the Relationship between Cultural Intelligence and Depression in A sample of Expatriate and Non-expatriate Kuwaiti Students

The study aims to explore the relationship between cultural intelligence and depression, and the role of expatriation as a moderator variable between them. The study also tries to detect the differences among expatriate and non-expatriate students in both cultural intelligence and its dimensions and depression along with verifying the relationship between residence duration in expatriation and cultural intelligence and its dimensions among expatriate students. The study sample was composed of 456 Kuwaiti college students (207 expatriate and 249 non-expatriate students), with mean age of 22.69 (SD = 3.81). The study used the Cultural Intelligence Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. The results revealed a weak, yet statistically significant, negative correlation relationship between overall cultural intelligence and its dimensions (metacognitive, cognitive, motivational and depression). No statistically significant relationship was found between the behavioral cultural intelligence dimension and depression. Expatriation was found to play a role as a moderator variable in the relationship between cultural intelligence and depression. Also, the results showed significant differences in overall cultural intelligence and its dimensions, since the mean score of expatriate students was greater than those of non-expatriate students. Also, the results showed no significant differences in depression among expatriate and non-expatriate students. Additionally, a statistically significant positive correlation between the residence duration and overall cultural intelligence and its cognitive and behavioral dimensions.