With a little help from my friends: Psychological distress and help-seeking preferences of Chinese students at Victoria University of Wellington.

Ms Kelly Atherton1

1Victoria International, Victoria University Of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand

In New Zealand and many other western nations, Chinese students make up the largest cohort of international students, with greater numbers predicted to study offshore in upcoming years. Chinese students face many unique stressors when transitioning to western culture, including marked academic, cultural, linguistic and social differences, which leave them at higher risk for the exacerbation and development of psychological problems. Compounding these difficulties, Chinese students face additional cultural issues relating to mental health stigma that result in a much lower uptake of mental health support services than the general university population.

In 2017, an online survey was sent to all Chinese students at Victoria University of Wellington. They completed the Kessler 10 measure of psychological distress and were asked about their help-seeking preferences, use of services and the advice they would give to new students. This presentation looks at the results of the survey and the implications for tertiary providers supporting Chinese students.


Biography:

Kelly is the International Student Support Manager at Victoria University of Wellington. She is completing her Masters of Health Research focussing on the mental health and help-seeking of Chinese international students.

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