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

Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu; Iqbal Pramukti; Carol Strong; Hsiao-Wen Wang; Mark D Griffiths; Chung-Ying Lin; Nai-Ying Ko

doi:10.2147/PRBM.S333226

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

Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2021 Nov 15:14:1857-1866. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S333226. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Daniel Kwasi Ahorsu^#¹, Iqbal Pramukti^#², Carol Strong³, Hsiao-Wen Wang⁴, Mark D Griffiths⁵, Chung-Ying Lin^{3

6

7

8}, Nai-Ying Ko⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong.
² Faculty of Nursing, Universitas Padjadjaran, West Java, Indonesia.
³ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 701, Taiwan.
⁵ International Gaming Research Unit, Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
⁶ Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁸ Biostatistics Consulting Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
⁹ Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.

^# Contributed equally.

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.