The overlooked minority: Mental health of International students worldwide under the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Chen, Juliet Honglei; Li, Yun; Wu, Anise M. S.; Tong, Kwok Kit

doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102333

Cited by 102 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…As compared to domestic students, the negative social and psychological outcomes of the coronavirus outbreak may be more severe for international students who, even in normal conditions, are more prone to mental health problems and do not seek psychological help in the host country (Alharbi and Smith, 2018;Chen et al, 2020). Relocation to another country, leaving family and friends in the home country, entails stress-provoking changes that draw on an individual's coping responses and adjustive resources, which is explained by the stress-and-coping approach to cross-cultural transition (Ward, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Psychological and Academic Effects of Studying From the Home and Host Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

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Objective: This study explored the psychological and academic effects of studying online from the home vis-à-vis host country during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the experience of international students at the University of Warsaw, Poland.Methods: A total of 357 international students from 62 countries (236 in the host country and 121 in the home country) completed an online questionnaire survey 2 months after transition to online learning. We studied students' levels of loneliness, life and academic satisfaction, acculturative stress, academic adjustment, performance, loyalty, and perceptions of the online learning experience.Results: The country-of-residence variable had no statistically significant effects on most psychological and academic variables. Significant effects were observed only for two academic variables. Specifically, students who returned to the home country found online communication with other students more contributing to their online learning experience and exhibited higher academic adjustment than students who remained in the host country. This suggests the positive influence of (peer and familial) support on online learning experience from the home country. Furthermore, a significant difference in experiencing acculturative stress occurred for students in quarantine/self-isolation in the host country, which expands prior literature on the disruptive effects of social distancing on students' mental health. Finally, this study confirmed the expected increased levels of loneliness among self-isolating students in both countries, hence extending prior results to the home- and host-country contexts. No relationship between self-isolation and students' life or academic satisfaction was found, which is explained by the specific nature of the learning-from-home experience.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the USA only, over one million international students returned home in spring 2020 (Dennis, 2020). However, some students had to continue studying in the host country due to closed borders and travel restrictions (Sahu, 2020), being devoid of family and social support structures (Chen et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Psychological and Academic Effects of Studying From the Home and Host Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021

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“…According to Chen et al (2020), the 5.3 billion international students globally who remained in host countries during the COVID-19 pandemic were particularly vulnerable to adverse effects particularly on their mental health. This article outlines the development of an innovative, co-ordinated, multi-pronged response to the COVID-19 induced crisis by social work academics at Griffith University which brought together various strategies that supported international students' own initiatives and coping with changed and uncertain circumstances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Australian Social Work Academics Respond to International Students in Crisis During COVID-19

et al. 2021

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This article discusses the impact of COVID-19 on a cohort of international students studying at one Australian university and the efforts made by social work academics to assist these students through a challenging and distressing time between December 2019 and July 2020. International social work students usually rely on scholarships and casual employment to support themselves while studying. Nonetheless, the Australian government made no financial provisions for international students when the COVID-19 pandemic struck leaving many students without any means of support. Students from all parts of the world attend Griffith University, located in south-east Queensland, Australia, including students from Wuhan, China, where the first known outbreak of COVID-19 was identified. Shame, anxiety, racism and concerns related to the wellbeing of families overseas were superimposed onto their own health concerns and day-to-day survival while still seeking to maintain academic progress. Material and emotional support were provided through the establishment of a food bank and the development of a case management model to address the needs of students. A COVID-19 Alternative Placement course and a field education student hub supported academic success during the health emergency. These interventions developed independently as a crisis response and were merged into a multi-pronged, coordinated approach that included collaborations with other sections of the university and the community. A School working committee was established to co-ordinate interventions to address individual student need that included crisis intervention, referrals to internal and external resources, and developing communities of support. The journey traveled by students and academics and the lessons learned from this experience are described, all of which are relevant to future health emergencies including the value of involving social work in university preparedness planning. The article concludes that intensive support can enhance resilience while supporting students’ own survival strategies, and, importantly, how such efforts can minimize, as far as possible, disruption to academic progress.

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“…In addition to health and financial impacts, several other factors may have differentially exacerbated the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning in Spring 2020. Losing access to student housing and meal plans contributed to housing and food insecurities for many students, including low-income students and international students [22,23], and heightened housing and food insecurities impacted off-campus students as well [24]. Moreover, poor internet connection and lack of a quiet or safe space to study made it more difficult for students to complete their assignments and succeed during remote instruction [25–28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 and the abrupt shift to remote learning: Impact on grades and perceived learning for undergraduate biology students

Supriya¹,

Mead²,

Anbar³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Institutions across the world transitioned abruptly to remote learning in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This rapid transition to remote learning has generally been predicted to negatively affect students, particularly those marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender identity. In this study, we examined the impact of this transition in the Spring 2020 semester on the grades of students enrolled in the in-person biology program at a large university in Southwestern United States as compared to the grades earned by students in the fully online biology program at the same institution. We also surveyed in-person instructors to understand changes in assessment practices as a result of the transition to remote learning during the pandemic. Finally, we surveyed students in the in-person program to learn about their perceptions of the impacts of this transition. We found that both online and in-person students received a similar small increase in grades in Spring 2020 compared to Spring 2018 and 2019. We also found no evidence of disproportionately negative impacts on grades received by students marginalized due to their race, socioeconomic class, or gender in either modality. Focusing on in-person courses, we documented that instructors made changes to their courses when they transitioned to remote learning, which may have offset some of the potential negative impacts on course grades. However, despite receiving higher grades, in-person students reported negative impacts on their learning, interactions with peers and instructors, feeling part of the campus community, and career preparation. Women reported a more negative impact on their learning and career preparation compared to men. This work provides insights into students’ perceptions of how they were disadvantaged as a result of the transition to remote instruction and illuminates potential actions that instructors can take to create more inclusive education moving forward.

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The overlooked minority: Mental health of International students worldwide under the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Cited by 102 publications

References 5 publications

The Psychological and Academic Effects of Studying From the Home and Host Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Psychological and Academic Effects of Studying From the Home and Host Country During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Australian Social Work Academics Respond to International Students in Crisis During COVID-19

COVID-19 and the abrupt shift to remote learning: Impact on grades and perceived learning for undergraduate biology students

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