Strengthening University Student Wellbeing: Language and Perceptions of Chinese International Students (original) (raw)
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Experiences of Chinese international students living in Australia: Wellbeing from "we" to "me
International Journal of Wellbeing, 2022
Whilst there is evidence of subjective wellbeing being related to academic success, good performance within and beyond university, degree attainment, and positive subsequent physical, mental, economic, and social outcomes in the university student population, less is known on how different student populations perceive, experience, and cultivate wellbeing. The current study explored the perspectives and experiences of one such population: Chinese international students at several universities across Australia. Semi-structured interviews with 30 students indicated that participants mainly experienced wellbeing through experiences of competence, feeling supported by family and friends, low levels of pressure, and giving to others. Almost half of the participants believed that people around them had low wellbeing. Students indicated drawing upon intrapersonal activities as the primary pathway to support their own wellbeing, whereas they pointed to interpersonal activities to support other's wellbeing. The findings show the mismatch between students' wellbeing experiences and pathways, shed light on understanding students' wellbeing in the higher education context, and identify some of the contextual and cultural factors that contribute to wellbeing experiences and pathways. Implications for interculturally nuanced approaches to understanding and supporting wellbeing are considered.
East Asian International Students and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review
The present article reports a systematic review of the studies related to psychological well-being among East Asian international students. A total of 18 quantitative studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2011 were reviewed. Our review revealed three major results: (1) a majority of researchers (n=13, 72.2%) tend to choose Chinese international students as a representative of East Asian and Asian international students in their studies; (2) studies on psychological well-being of East Asian international students are closely associated with the following variables: length of stay in host country, English proficiency, attitudes toward seeking help, depression, and acculturation; (3) depression was the most frequently reported variable (n=6, 33.3%), followed by acculturation (n=5, 27.8%). Recommendations for further research in psychological well-being were provided.
Background: Chinese international students are the largest group of international students in the UK. Although there is considerable research into acculturation and acculturation stress of these students, little is known about their mental health experiences. Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted looking at literature published between 2009-2019 in order to learn more about the mental health experience of Chinese international students in the UK. Results: It is difficult to confirm whether Chinese international students in the UK experience heightened risk of psychological distress, as argued by studies on other countries. However, these students do seem less likely to seek formal mental health support compared to home students, but rather rely more on informal support from friends. While Western mental health models are likely to be favoured by these students, certain cultural beliefs around prevention and cause of mental ill health might be present. Conclusion: Chinese international students in the UK are diverse and we still do not understand enough about their mental health experiences, which is a concern given the continued growth of their numbers. Caution is necessary when interpreting how some cultural factors are reported. China has undergone vast changes in recent years so drawing on studies that date back too far might not accurately capture Chinese youth today. The literature acknowledges that there will be new aspects to the experiences of mental health of these students, including new societal pressures relating to studying abroad. This paper also discusses gaps in our knowledge and practical steps that can be taken to support Chinese international students' psychological wellbeing while studying in the UK.
Improving students’ wellbeing at university
Revista Docência do Ensino Superior, 2021
This article presents the work done by Leeds University to develop a wellbeing program for students. Dr. Bridgette Bewick, an Associate Professor at School of Medicine, discusses her work on behavioral and psychological understanding of how to improve and support the mental health and wellbeing of university students. She affirms that improvement and support services to students’ mental health and wellbeing are necessary but not sufficient to facilitate student success while at university. Dr. Bewick hihglights the urgency to develop practices consistent with pedagogical wellbeing to address student education challenges that have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Article International Student Wellbeing and Academic Progress
2015
The measurement of subjective wellbeing may provide an easily administered indicator of social, psychological or academic adaptation issues experienced by international students. We compare the subjective wellbeing of international students achieving unsatisfactory academic progress against peer international students achieving satisfactory academic progress. Students with unsatisfactory academic progress reported significantly lower levels of well-being than students achieving satisfactory academic progress across all domains.
International Journal of Wellbeing, 2022
Background and objectives: Wellbeing among university students is associated with better academic outcomes and diminished harm from mental illness. This study systematically reviews and meta-analyses longitudinal studies of the antecedents and consequences of wellbeing within this population, providing an overview which establishes a 'natural history' of wellbeing to form a background for intervention and policy. Method: This study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the peer-reviewed literature, based on a broad range of search terms across four journal databases in psychology, medicine and education. Studies were organised by the domain of their study variables (i.e., Self, Relationships, or Institutional Context) and variables relating to wellbeing were extracted. The incremental effect of study variables measured at baseline upon prospective wellbeing was calculated with semipartial correlation coefficients which controlled for baseline wellbeing. Meta-regressions were used to examine the effect of follow-up interval on effect sizes. Results: Sixty-two longitudinal studies of university student cohorts were identified. In 57 studies, wellbeing was an outcome variable. Meta-analyses showed that effects were moderated by measurement interval between baseline and follow-up, becoming weaker with longer intervals, and that this was not an artifact of the measurement instrument. The study factors with the strongest positive effect sizes after controlling for baseline wellbeing were authenticity, self-esteem, self-support for autonomy, emotional repair, and ability to regulate distress and despondency; relationship commitment and group memberships; selfidentification with the university and time pressure. Study factors with the strongest negative effect sizes were uncertainty regarding university, materialism, a belief in social complexity, depression, and stress. In five studies, wellbeing was an antecedent, showing positive associations with educational outcomes. Conclusion: This review identified several antecedents of student wellbeing which could be targeted for interventions. These included self-relationship, emotion regulation, and interventions to decrease mental illness. Universities might also make it easier to establish and maintain groups (e.g., study cohorts, interest groups). Many variables which affect wellbeing are not amenable to study with experimental methods, but their study and use in wellbeing interventions should not be neglected. Because the antecedents of wellbeing are numerous and diverse, further research in the area should take advantage of research methods which maximise the variety of data collected and minimise respondent burden, such as passively collected and linked data.
Contested meanings of mental health and well-being among university students
South African Journal of Psychology, 2017
Emerging adults are an important group not only because their opinions and knowledge will determine future attitudes but also because of the emergence of mental health problems during young adulthood. In order to provide relevant support, academics, health care providers as well as policy makers need to be more cognisant of how emerging adults make meaning of their psycho-social developmental context. The objective of the study was to explore how a cohort of 150 university students made meaning of emotional well-being and mental illness, the causes of mental health problems, the negative connotations associated with mental ill health, help-seeking behaviours, and how culture was used as a lens through which mental well-being was understood. The main findings indicate that students struggle to fully understand these concepts mainly because it is shrouded in mystery and complexity and not engaged with freely because of stigma and stereotypical attitudes, and while culture provides a l...
Preliminary findings from an international study of subjective wellbeing in tertiary students
2017
Experiencing high levels of subjective wellbeing is a central criterion of positive mental health in all groups of individuals. Wellbeing is not only the result of favourable life circumstances such as academic success and satisfying relationships, but also a predictor and part cause of these outcomes. More specifically, in relation to university students, wellbeing is important for influencing not only their academic outcomes, their attitudinal and career outcomes, but also outcomes that benefit communities and society at large. Religiosity has been implicated in wellbeing. For example a 14-year follow-up study found that attending religious services predicted a 22% reduced risk of developing major depression in adults while another longitudinal study showed that higher self-reported religiosity/spirituality predicted a 90% decreased risk of major depression in adults. This study reports the correlates of subjective wellbeing in an international sample of 1031 tertiary students fro...
Journal of International Comparative Education, 2021
Bhutan is a country known for happiness. In the 1970s, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo [Dragon King] of Bhutan established the development philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). However, using ‘happiness’ as a measurement of social and economic development does not mean that all Bhutanese are ‘happy’ themselves. Schools – including higher education – can be stressful places in Bhutan, and there is little support or resources for the mental health and wellbeing needs of students. In this article, we explore the experiences and perceptions of both students and staff across the Royal University of Bhutan in regard to wellbeing and mental health. In all, there were over 1,700 respondents to our survey. We explore the results of the survey through an Educational Values Evaluation and Design (EVED) framework to understand the complex factors that both enable and challenge GNH as a value in higher education. The results show that while many students view their happiness and wellbeing as positive overall, there are sll a significant amount that experience depression, stress, social difficulties, and other forms of distress. In comparison to college staff perception of student’s mental health and wellbeing, the students are more positive about their own wellbeing than the staff.