Perceived Discrimination as a Threat to the Mental Health of Chinese International Students in Australia

Abstract

In this study, a brief instrument (the Mental Health Change Indicator Scale, MHCIS) was developed for use in assessing the impact of a negative event on mental health. The instrument was then used to compare the reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Chinese university students studying either in China (n = 734) or Australia (n = 108). Perceived discrimination and social support were also evaluated as possible mediators of the relationship between country of residence (Australia vs China), and mental health impact. Results suggested that the 10-item MHCIS was unidimensional and psychometrically sound, and that the pandemic had a significantly (p < 0.001) more negative impact on the mental health of Chinese students studying in Australia than on those studying in China. Perceived discrimination was identified as a key mediating factor in this relationship. Possible implications for higher education institutions in Australia are discussed.

Key Predictive Factors in the Mental Health of Chinese University Students at Home and Abroad

“…The different languages, different academic practices and different therapeutic approaches to ‘emotional’ issues between the home country and the host country [ 64 ] may all contribute to the challenges and difficulties while studying and living in a host country. Chinese international students who are studying in Australia may also potentially experience more discrimination than their counterparts studying in their home country, which might have been exacerbated during the COVID-19 period [ 53 ].…”

“…The Chinese version of the MHCIS [ 50 ] was used as the outcome variable in the present study. The MHCIS is a 10-item self-report instrument developed by Zhao et al [ 53 ] to measure the negative impact of nominated adverse events on individuals’ mental health. Each item captures changes in one specific negative indicator of mental health.…”

“…Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating a more negative impact of the event. Again, in a preliminary evaluation of this instrument, Zhao et al [ 53 ] found that the MHCIS demonstrated excellent reliability and validity for use with Chinese university students.…”

“…Another demographic variable that could affect how individuals respond to adverse events is the environment in which the events are confronted. For example, Zhao et al [ 53 ] found that Chinese students in Chinese universities had better mental health than Chinese international students studying in Australian universities during COVID-19. In another study, very high levels of distress and perceived stress, in addition to low levels of wellbeing, were found amongst individuals who were affected by the COVID-19 border closures in Australia [ 54 ].…”

“…AlHadi et al [ 57 ] also found that denial and self-blame coping strategies were associated with more severe negative mental health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabian adults. Very recently, Zhao et al [ 53 ] found that problem-solving and disengagement strategies were positively related to Chinese university students’ overall well-being during COVID-19. Given the associations that have been identified between coping strategies and mental health, it is plausible to assume that individuals who tend to use coping strategies that have been identified as more maladaptive (e.g., withdrawal) are more likely to be affected negatively by adverse life events, while those who tend to adopt strategies deemed to be more adaptive (e.g., problem-solving coping strategies) are likely to fare better in such situations.…”