Addressing mental health, misinformation, & religious tensions among South Asian students across California higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative research study

BACKGROUND: South Asian Americans comprise one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the US. Nevertheless, the scientific literature on the experiences of South Asian students is lacking, where often studies focused on Asian Americans exclude South Asians altogether. South Asian students have unique experiences in California higher education, often having to cope with high pressure to perform academically and various social responsibilities associated with being first-, second-, or third-generation American. Many South Asian countries have been more severely affected by COVID-19 due to the density of people living in close proximity to one another. Students of South Asian origin worry for their families overseas, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted populations there to a more considerable extent. METHODOLOGY: This was a qualitative research study conducted using in-depth interviews with 25 students who identified as South Asian and were currently enrolled in higher education in California at the time they were interviewed. Ads were placed on social media networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, and participation in the study was voluntary. Students were chosen randomly to avoid bias. Study participants described their experiences navigating higher education throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in relation to their social, economic, cultural, and political spheres. Interviews were mainly conducted through Zoom, some through emails or phone calls. All participants will remain anonymous to protect the identities of students. This project sought to understand the experiences of South Asian students as they navigate the new normal amidst a global crisis. Qualitative responses were indexed by themes, with South Asian students reporting a relationship between the pandemic and worsened academic experiences, issues of exacerbated mental health, the spread of misinformation, and increased religious tensions. This research reflects pragmatism, and the findings of this paper are coupled with suggested recommendations to ameliorate pandemic related issues for future South Asian students. The project was conducted through both inductive and qualitative approaches. The research strategy is action research, and the research was meant to shine a light on issues South Asian students face and help university administrations understand how to better support students during a pandemic. The time horizon is cross-sectional. The research focuses on COVID-19 in relation to South Asian students’ performance and health. At 25 participants, data saturation was reached. Further participants were not needed as the qualitative research data was sufficient to draw conclusions from. The research was deemed to pose no risk to students; therefore, approval from an ethical committee was not sought. All participants signed consent forms in order to participate. Follow-up interviews were conducted to address students’ experiences with family in India experiencing the B.167.2 variant and the transition back to in-person learning following virtual schooling. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: South Asian students in higher education bear a unique set of responsibilities in addition to the already rigorous coursework associated with college. However, the stresses and health of South Asian students often go understudied or overlooked. This research serves to begin to fill in the gaps in literature of South Asian experiences in higher education. The pandemic posed additional challenges for students, who lost access to their campus communities with university education going virtual, and many South Asian students had to move back home. Through this qualitative research study analyzing the experiences of South Asians enrolled in California higher education, it can be concluded that there is a relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ academic performance, mental health, as well as an increase in the amount of misinformation spread regarding COVID-19 public safety guidelines.