International Students' Suggestions for What Universities Can Do to Better Support Their Mental Wellbeing

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ABSTRACT

This article aims to expand understanding of how to support international students' mental wellbeing in Australian higher education. It presents findings from a study that explored international students' own suggestions for how universities could improve their wellbeing. Qualitative responses were analyzed from 601 international students at one large, metropolitan university in Australia. Findings emphasize the relationship between course experience and student wellbeing and suggest that universities could improve international students' wellbeing by focusing on improving their learning experiences and fostering a sense of belonging.

Keywords: Australia, higher education, international students, mental health, support, wellbeing

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shift to remote teaching and learning practices across higher education sectors globally has highlighted the importance of supporting international students' mental wellbeing. In Australia, for example, there has been heightened attention on challenges of isolation, separation from support networks, and ineligibility for federal aid during the height of the crisis. Although these circumstances may seem to increase the risk of psychological distress among international students, the importance of understanding and addressing their mental health has been a concern in Australia for over a decade, with several prepandemic studies indicating that international students are at high risk of experiencing mental health difficulties (Orygen, 2017; Shadowen et al., 2019; Veness, 2016).

Despite recognition of international students as a high-risk group (Russell et al., 2010; Skromanis et al., 2018), only a few of the growing number of empirical studies on university students' mental wellbeing have focused on international students specifically (e.g., Shadowen et al., 2019). Of those, the tendency has been to explore the efficacy of international students' actions and behaviors, such as their attitudes toward and inclinations to seek mental health support (e.g., Clough et al., 2019; Ling & Tran, 2015). Alternatively, literature has focused on the problems associated with international students' mental health and only tangentially acknowledged suggestions for improvement.

This article presents an alternative perspective and reports the findings from a prepandemic study that identified factors in the university environment that, from the students' perspective, could better support their wellbeing. The study was part of a larger research project that aimed to address the question, "What can universities do to better support international students' mental health and wellbeing?"

This question is critical for universities...