TY - JOUR
T1 - Covid-19-related variables and its association with anxiety and suicidal ideation
T2 - Differences between international and local university students in taiwan
AU - Ahorsu, Daniel Kwasi
AU - Pramukti, Iqbal
AU - Strong, Carol
AU - Wang, Hsiao Wen
AU - Griffiths, Mark D.
AU - Lin, Chung Ying
AU - Ko, Nai Ying
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank all the participants for participating in the present study. This study was supported in part by a research grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (MOST109-2327-B-006-005), in part by a research grant from the Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital Cross-Institutions Fund (110-swf-01), and in part by the 2020 Southeast and South Asia and Taiwan Universities Joing Research Scheme (NCKU 33).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Ahorsu et al.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Purpose: The present study examined the differences between international and local university students in Taiwan regarding COVID-19-related variables, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Participants and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey (sent via an online link in an email) was carried out comprising university students (n=529). The students were assessed on measures (including validated psychometric instruments) of perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived sufficiency of resources, sources of COVID-19 information, perceived satisfaction with support, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Results: Local students had higher susceptibility to COVID-19 (p<0.001) but decreased sufficiency with resources (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001) compared with international students. Staying with family members, satisfaction with support, and information seeking were the factors that predicted anxiety among international students (all p-values<0.05), while information seeking predicted local students’ anxiety (p<0.001). Furthermore, staying with family members, susceptibility to COVID-19, and sufficiency with resources were the factors that predicted suicidal ideation among international students (all p-values<0.05), while being a male and satisfaction with support predicted suicidal ideation among local students (all p-values<0.05). Conclusion: International students displayed different COVID-19-related challenges compared with local students. More specifically, international students as compared with local students had lower susceptibility to COVID-19 and higher anxiety. Therefore, healthcare providers should pay more attention to international students’ psychological health and awareness regarding impacts of COVID-19 on health.
AB - Purpose: The present study examined the differences between international and local university students in Taiwan regarding COVID-19-related variables, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Participants and Methods: An online cross-sectional survey (sent via an online link in an email) was carried out comprising university students (n=529). The students were assessed on measures (including validated psychometric instruments) of perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived sufficiency of resources, sources of COVID-19 information, perceived satisfaction with support, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Results: Local students had higher susceptibility to COVID-19 (p<0.001) but decreased sufficiency with resources (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001) compared with international students. Staying with family members, satisfaction with support, and information seeking were the factors that predicted anxiety among international students (all p-values<0.05), while information seeking predicted local students’ anxiety (p<0.001). Furthermore, staying with family members, susceptibility to COVID-19, and sufficiency with resources were the factors that predicted suicidal ideation among international students (all p-values<0.05), while being a male and satisfaction with support predicted suicidal ideation among local students (all p-values<0.05). Conclusion: International students displayed different COVID-19-related challenges compared with local students. More specifically, international students as compared with local students had lower susceptibility to COVID-19 and higher anxiety. Therefore, healthcare providers should pay more attention to international students’ psychological health and awareness regarding impacts of COVID-19 on health.
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U2 - 10.2147/PRBM.S333226
DO - 10.2147/PRBM.S333226
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119601562
SN - 1179-1578
VL - 14
SP - 1857
EP - 1866
JO - Psychology Research and Behavior Management
JF - Psychology Research and Behavior Management
ER -