the mental health of international students in australian universities professor trang thomas and...
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The mental health of international
students in Australian universities
Professor Trang Thomas and Dr. Sophia Xenos,Professor Trang Thomas and Dr. Sophia Xenos,
Ivan Mathieson, David Pavone, Diana Summers, & Naomi Ivan Mathieson, David Pavone, Diana Summers, & Naomi ThomasThomas
RMIT UniversityRMIT University
OVERVIEW
•Predictors of good adjustment
•PPsychopathology and sychopathology and ssuicidal uicidal iideationdeation
•Problem gambling Problem gambling
“My experience is that the international students are very unhappy. We invite them to Australia,
we take their money, then we just leave them to find their own way around, to pass or fail their
course, to make friends, or be left alone” (Counselling psychologist, Deakin University)
Recent research has drawn attention to the additional stressors experienced by IS and the impact on their
general well being.
Australian higher education institutions are experiencing significant growth in the number of IS enrolments
LLanguage difficultiesanguage difficulties CChanges in economic statushanges in economic status SSeparation reactionseparation reactions Unfamiliar social normsUnfamiliar social norms AA foreign educational system foreign educational system AAcademic performance expectations cademic performance expectations RRacism/prejudice acism/prejudice
COMMON DIFFICULTIES
What family variables influence homesickness?
How do the circumstances of the move predict homesickness?
What factors in the new environment predict homesickness?
Coming to Australia: Homesickness and adjustment
Students from Melbourne and RMIT University, 29 male, 31 female Aged 18-36 years; mean 21.9 years Countries of origin: Anglo-European, Africa, Malaysia, other Asian countries.
60 International Students 60 International Students surveyed on a 99-item questionnaire. Recruited through colleges and social clubs.
METHODOLOGY
Self-Report Measures
Demographics
Circumstances of move and pressure to succeed
Self-Esteem
Locus of Control
Coping Style
Family Cohesion
Homesickness
Settlement
RESULTS•The majority were only mildly homesick.
• Students were happy about being in Australia.
• No student endorsed the statement ‘I wish I had never come to Australia’.
Predictors of good adjustment
The importance of the family
• High self-esteem
• High family cohesion
• Low pressure for academic success.
• Being happy about the original decision to come to Australia.
• Coping: unwillingness to ignore problems.
• Frequent correspondence with home.
(1) Do IS report higher levels of psychopathology/suicidal ideation than domestic students?
(2) What factors impact on attitudes to help seeking in IS populations?
Psychopathology and Suicidal Ideation in Domestic & International Students
170 Australian born students 167 International students IS: 18-32 years; mean age 21.4 years Domestic: 18-30 years; mean age 20.6 years
337 Domestic & International 337 Domestic & International Students Students surveyed. Recruited through colleges, social clubs, and lectures/tutorials.
METHODOLOGY
Self-Report Measures
Brief Symptom Inventory
Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation Scale
Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales
COPE Scale
Social Support Appraisals Scale
IS IS reported reported significantly significantly higher levels of higher levels of depression, suicidal depression, suicidal ideation, and somatisation than domestic studentsideation, and somatisation than domestic students
Higher levels of paranoid ideation in recently arrived ISHigher levels of paranoid ideation in recently arrived IS
No difference in reported levels of anxiety between IS and No difference in reported levels of anxiety between IS and domestic studentsdomestic students
RESULTS
Predictors of help seeking & suicidal ideation
IS reported less positive attitudes towards help seeking IS reported less positive attitudes towards help seeking
Depression, gender (male), length of time away, and Depression, gender (male), length of time away, and suicidal ideation predicted LESS willingness to seek helpsuicidal ideation predicted LESS willingness to seek help
Only support from FRIENDS was related to lower levels of Only support from FRIENDS was related to lower levels of suicidal ideation and greater willingness to seek helpsuicidal ideation and greater willingness to seek help
GamblingCognitive
distortions
• Cultural differences
• Greek people : social reasons, Chinese and Vietnamese: to make money
• Australian students prefer games of chance, e.g. lotteries, International students preferred casino table gambling.
• Chinese are most at risk of becoming problem gamblers
Research Questions
Are cognitive distortions related to the gambling behaviour of IS and their risk of developing problem gambling?
Do cultural background (Chinese, non-Chinese) and country of origin influence gambling behaviour and risk of becoming a problem gambler?
Method
280 international students participated.
Two groups: Chinese and others Control Belief Scale Gambling behavior Gambling problem (SOGS)
Results
25.4 percent of the students were gamblers in their home country. Of those who had been non-gamblers, 60.3 percent STARTED to gamble in Australia.
A significant proportion of the new gamblers were at risk of becoming problem gamblers
Findings
Need for money is a significant predictor Chinese students from Malaysia gambled
more than Chinese from other countries. Chinese students from Hong Kong were
more at risk for developing problem gambling than Chinese from other countries
Conclusion
International students in Australia are vulnerable.
We have duty of care for our IS Research is needed in development of
effective help services and increasing mental health service utilisation e.g. mentoring