Chinese International Students’ Mental Health and Help-Seeking During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Thematic Analysis.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese-speaking international students’ (CIS) mental health and help-seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom (UK). Using a qualitative method, data was gathered from 13 CISs using individual semi-structured interviews. Participants were given a choice to have the interview conducted in English or Mandarin with the majority of the participants (n=10) choosing Mandarin. Two topics were focused on: challenges faced during the pandemic while studying overseas and help seeking; and within these topics four main themes were developed: feeling unsafe, feeling isolated, seeking help from friends and family, and seeking professional help. Not all the challenges shared by participants are related to the COVID-19 situation, however it is undeniable that COVID-19 has added to the challenges already being faced by CIS. Participants reported that they prefer to seek help from peers or family during times of distress rather than professional help due to various reasons, such as language barriers, limited understanding of mental health and mental health system in the UK. Further research is required to understand the challenges that participants faced while navigating two sets of health beliefs during the COVID-19 pandemic, their experience with microaggression/racism and its impact on overall mental wellbeing.