Mental Health and Psychological Help-Seeking of Iranian International Students at UNSW Australia

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the level of psychological distress and attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help in Iranian international students at UNSW Australia, and to compare these with results reported in other university student samples. The study also explored the factors associated with increased levels of psychological distress and positive attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help in this sample.A preliminary qualitative exploration provided information about major stressors and coping strategies among Iranian international students at UNSW. The main study involved a cross-sectional e-mail survey of 180 Iranian international students pursuing academic degrees during 2012/2013 at this university. The self-administered questionnaire included demographic and personal items, and five standardised scales: World Health Organisation Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL—BREF), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Attitudes towards Seeking Professional Psychological Help Scale—Short Form, Multidimensional Scale for Perceived Social Support, and Duke Religion Index. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to analyse the predictors of psychological distress and attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, respectively.Compared to a sample of university students in Australia, a significantly smaller proportion of Iranian international students experienced moderate or severe psychological distress. However, their distress levels were unexceptional when located within a range of similar studies of university students. Iranian international students did not differ from a sample of Australian university students in their attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help. Their attitudes were unexceptional when located among other studies of university students. When different psycho-social and socio-demographic factors were considered together, experiencing high to very high levels of psychological distress was associated with being female (OR=3.92, p=0.004), worse physical health (OR=0.50, p<0.001), negative attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help (OR=0.91, p=0.022), lower levels of perceived social support (OR=0.96, p=0.016), and lower levels of religious involvement and spirituality (OR=0.91, p=0.006). Positive attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help were associated with higher scores on the environment domain of WHOQOL—BREF (B=0.62, p=0.001) and having previous experience with psychological counselling (B=4.22, p<0.001). Findings from this growing group of international university students can be used to support more culturally competent mental health promotion and service provision