International Student Trauma Exposure Response and Help-Seeking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: Learning and Teaching in and Through COVID-19 (Table 14)

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic upended the operations of US higher education, consideration for international students stuck in the US was limited. Balancing precarious visa statuses, potentially unsure of how they were to meet their basic needs, and stress of contracting the virus, or family contracting the virus, created an environment for potential traumatization. Using a quantitative cross-section design, this study sought to assess the degree to which a sample of international students (n=172) self-reported trauma-exposure response, as well as their likelihood to seek help for their mental health. Results indicated moderate degrees of trauma exposure responses, with women more likely to experience symptoms than men. Additionally, results indicated varied likelihoods of help seeking, with disparities found across racial identity groups.

Authors

• Peggy Gesing, Eastern Virginia Medical School

• Robert Jason Lynch, Appalachian State University

• Natalie Cruz, Emory University