Threats to the emotional wellbeing of mainland Chinese students studying in Australia: an interpretivist study

PURPOSE: In 2017, international students contributed almost $32 billion to Australia’s economy, more than half of which was attributable to students from China. Despite its historical popularity as a study destination, research suggests that these students confront numerous obstacles in pursuing their studies within Australia. In this study, the perspectives of these students were explored. The dominant issues raised by these students related to mental health and emotional wellbeing. METHODS: Nineteen students in one Australian university participated in one-on-one in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using grounded theory approaches. Three broad themes were generated in the study: psychological stress (which was linked to language barriers, shifts in pedagogy, and changes in lifestyle); perceived safety (which was linked to lack of security, safety and perceived racial discrimination); and social isolation (linked to reduced sense of belonging; lacking close personal connections; and feelings of loneliness and homesickness). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggested that a tripartite model of interactive risk factors may be appropriate for exploring how international students fare emotionally with their new environments.