The mental health of international university students from China during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protective effect of social support: A longitudinal study

Ke, Tianhui; Li, Wenjing; Sanci, Lena; Reavley, Nicola; Williams, Ian; Russell, Melissa

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.014

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(53 reference statements)

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“…In contrast, this study reveals that social support is an important factor and those who perceive more social support from their families during the first year of studies, are more likely to experience lower levels of anxiety. A possible explanation for this might be that perceived support from family members is a protective factor against mental health issues of young adults as their close ones provide needed assistance support and empathy during difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic [ 15 ]. In contrast, a study by Kolozsvari [ 38 ] revealed that even though social support perceived from the family members lowered the level of stress of the local students in Hungary, it was not significant for international students.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They can also lower the risk of mental health problems, such as anxiety [ 13 , 14 ]. A study by Li et al [ 15 ] indicated that social support is a major protective factor for mental health in challenging environments and it serves as a buffer against the negative effects of stressors. A recent study [ 16 ] conducted in China revealed that strong social support was associated with lower anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent study [ 16 ] conducted in China revealed that strong social support was associated with lower anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Li et al [ 15 ] state that by demonstrating empathy and offering support, friends and family can assist young adults in managing stress and maintaining excellent mental health. Additionally, social support is inversely correlated with the intensity of mental health symptoms and aids in maintaining a sense of control when coping with stressful events and anxiety [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociocultural adjustment and social support as predictors for international medical sciences students’ anxiety during COVID-19

Razgulin,

Argustaitė-Zailskienė,

Petrolienė

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

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Background The prevalence of anxiety is high among international medical sciences students and it increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic due to different restrictions and social isolation. Successful sociocultural adjustment and social support could be important factors in overcoming those challenges, however, there is a lack of studies which would investigate the role of those factors among inter- national medical students. This study aimed to assess the role of sociocultural adjustment and social support as predictors for international medical students’ anxiety during COVID-19. Methods Two measurements were conducted via self-reported questionnaires which consisted of three scales - SCAS, MSPSS and GAD-7. In total, 82 international medical students participated in both measurements in this longitudinal study. Results The findings indicated that 37% of international students had symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety during their first year of studies at university. In the second year, during the COVID-19 pandemic and an official lockdown, 35% of international students had symptoms of moderate or severe anxiety. In addition, this study showed that gender and sociocultural adjustment did not play a role as predictors of students’ anxiety during the second year of studies. However, this study revealed that social support provided by family during the first year of studies, as well as having friends or family members who had been ill with COVID-19 predicted higher levels of anxiety at second measurement, while sociocultural adjustment was an even stronger predictor of anxiety in the second year of studies of international medical students. Conclusions This knowledge can help to better understand how international medical students felt during the COVID-19 pandemic and what role the above- mentioned factors played in the students’ anxiety. As the anxiety level is quite high among international medical students, universities and mental health service providers should take it into consideration and help them to overcome those challenges.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sociocultural adjustment and social support as predictors for international medical sciences students’ anxiety during COVID-19

Razgulin,

Argustaitė-Zailskienė,

Petrolienė

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Moreover, the interplay between social support and mental health has been explored. The study by Ke et al ( 53 ) underscores the protective effect of social support on international students’ mental health. Conversely, studies like Reid et al ( 70 ) demonstrate that lack of social support can exacerbate anxiety and depression during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Critical Mental Health Status of the International Students – The comprehensive review of the literature on the mental health of international students since the beginning of the COVID-9 pandemic, when the current project was started, was corroborated by an important number of emerging studies that put efforts to provide scientific evidence of their critical status. As summarized, various aspects of the mental health of international students during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported worldwide ( 8 , 9 , 53 ) (more recorded in Tables 1B,C ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and effectiveness of an online group logotherapy intervention on the mental health of Iranian international students in European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Rahgozar,

Giménez-Llort

2024

Front. Psychiatry

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IntroductionThe secondary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread psychological challenges, significantly strained international students’ mental health. The present work sought to design and assess the efficacy of an Online Group Logotherapy Protocol, an existential psychology approach developed by Viktor Frankl, to reduce anxiety and depression levels among Iranian international students who were migrants/refugees in different European countries during the pandemic.MethodsThe study recruited 70 students (58 females and 12 males, age range 20–35, 6 EU countries) experiencing moderate levels of anxiety and depression as measured by the Beck Anxiety (BAI) and Depression (BDI) Inventories at pre-test. Half the participants received a short-term closed group intervention comprising 6 online sessions / 90 min of logotherapy. The control group received 6 sessions without specific psychological treatment.ResultsThe designed logotherapy sessions consisted of 1. Fundamentals of logotherapy, 2. Existential concerns, 3. Introspection, 4. Self-awareness and growth, 5. Empowering and facing challenges, 6. Meaning of life and conclusions. Five logotherapy techniques were used: Socratic Dialog, Modification of Attitude, Paradoxical Intention, Dereflection, and Logodrama. After the sessions, the post-test MANCOVA analysis showed a more potent effect of logotherapy reducing depression and anxiety than that elicited without intervention. The Eta coefficient suggests that the observed difference explains the effect of logotherapy with a strong power of 89%.ConclusionThese findings unveil (1) the benefits of online group sessions despite the geographical distance and (2) the relevance of logotherapy effectively reducing depression and anxiety in such complex scenarios where psychological resources and cultural competencies are limited.

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Food insecurity and affective well-being during COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa

Abouelenin,

2024

Journal of Affective Disorders

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The mental health of international university students from China during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protective effect of social support: A longitudinal study

Cited by 13 publications

References 41 publications

Sociocultural adjustment and social support as predictors for international medical sciences students’ anxiety during COVID-19

Sociocultural adjustment and social support as predictors for international medical sciences students’ anxiety during COVID-19

Design and effectiveness of an online group logotherapy intervention on the mental health of Iranian international students in European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Food insecurity and affective well-being during COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa

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