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. 2021 Nov 15:14:1857-1866.
doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S333226. eCollection 2021.

COVID-19-Related Variables and Its Association with Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation: Differences Between International and Local University Students in Taiwan

Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu #  1 , Iqbal Pramukti #  2 , Carol Strong  3 , Hsiao-Wen Wang  4 , Mark D Griffiths  5 , Chung-Ying Lin  3   6   7   8 , Nai-Ying Ko  9
Affiliations

COVID-19-Related Variables and Its Association with Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation: Differences Between International and Local University Students in Taiwan

Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu et al. Psychol Res Behav Manag. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: COVID-19; Taiwan; anxiety; suicidal ideation; university students.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

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