The experiences and impact on wellness among international students in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective Assessing experiences and impact on wellness among international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants: 405 undergraduate and graduate international students from 65 countries studying at a large public university. Methods: An online, voluntary and anonymous survey consisting of 50 quantitative and qualitative questions was conducted through Qualtrics. Descriptive and frequency analyses were used. Results: 27% of the students had concerns about the changes in student visa status that could seriously disrupt their studies in the U.S. 66.2% of them reported a moderate level, 18.8% reported a high level of stress related to the pandemic. Students identified the highest confidence in getting tested for infection but the lowest confidence in getting treatment if infected. They preferred telehealth for mental health services. Conclusions: Universities can best help international students by assisting with student visa and international travel issues, access to treatment for COVID-19 infection and developing telehealth for mental health services.

Randomized clinical trial of a brief, scalable intervention for mental health sequelae in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of brief Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills videos in reducing psychological distress among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over six weeks, 153 undergraduates at a large, public American university completed pre-assessment, intervention, and post-assessment periods. During the intervention, participants were randomized to receive animated DBT skills videos for 14 successive days (n = 99) or continue assessment (n = 54). All participants received 4x daily ecological momentary assessments on affect, self-efficacy of managing emotions, and unbearableness of emotions. The study was feasible and the intervention was acceptable, as demonstrated by moderate to high compliance rates and video ratings. There were significant pre-post video reductions in negative affect and increases in positive affect. There was a significant time × condition interaction on unbearableness of emotions; control participants rated their emotions as more unbearable in the last four vs. first two weeks, whereas the intervention participants did not rate their emotions as any more unbearable. Main effects of condition on negative affect and self-efficacy were not significant. DBT skills videos may help college students avoid worsening mental health. This brief, highly scalable intervention could extend the reach of mental health treatment.