Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we go about our daily lives. Such drastic changes may lead to psychological distress such as depression, anxiety and stress. This is especially challenging for international students, particularly the postgraduate students as they face additional diff...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ahmad Rohi Ghazali, Mahmoud M. Dboba, Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M, Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie, Wang Li, Taufik Hidayat, Wong Yee Yan, Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024
Online Access:http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24146/1/PP_9.pdf
_version_ 1811136923748532224
author Ahmad Rohi Ghazali,
Mahmoud M. Dboba,
Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M,
Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie,
Wang Li,
Taufik Hidayat,
Wong Yee Yan,
Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan,
author_facet Ahmad Rohi Ghazali,
Mahmoud M. Dboba,
Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M,
Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie,
Wang Li,
Taufik Hidayat,
Wong Yee Yan,
Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan,
author_sort Ahmad Rohi Ghazali,
collection UKM
description The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we go about our daily lives. Such drastic changes may lead to psychological distress such as depression, anxiety and stress. This is especially challenging for international students, particularly the postgraduate students as they face additional difficulties in adapting to a new teaching and learning environment. Hence, as we transition to a new normal era, it is pertinent that we investigate how existing forms of social support play a role in helping international postgraduates cope with their depression, anxiety and stress. The research aimed to determine the relationship between social support, depression, anxiety and stress among international postgraduate students at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The findings revealed that 27.8% of students exceeded the normal range for depression, 50% exceeded the normal range for anxiety, and 11.1% exceeded the normal range for stress. Next, there was no relationship between social support with depression, anxiety and stress. However, there were significantly strong positive relationships between depression, anxiety and stress. Then, there was no significant difference in depression, anxiety and stress between male and female international postgraduate students. Lastly, when social support was suggested (eight types) to be given, the students did not prefer a particular type of social support over others, but each type of social support suggested was still needed by the students.
first_indexed 2024-09-24T01:30:52Z
format Article
id ukm.eprints-24146
institution Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
language English
last_indexed 2024-09-24T01:30:52Z
publishDate 2024
publisher Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
record_format dspace
spelling ukm.eprints-241462024-09-10T01:58:03Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24146/ Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM Ahmad Rohi Ghazali, Mahmoud M. Dboba, Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M, Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie, Wang Li, Taufik Hidayat, Wong Yee Yan, Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan, The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we go about our daily lives. Such drastic changes may lead to psychological distress such as depression, anxiety and stress. This is especially challenging for international students, particularly the postgraduate students as they face additional difficulties in adapting to a new teaching and learning environment. Hence, as we transition to a new normal era, it is pertinent that we investigate how existing forms of social support play a role in helping international postgraduates cope with their depression, anxiety and stress. The research aimed to determine the relationship between social support, depression, anxiety and stress among international postgraduate students at the Faculty of Health Sciences (FSK), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). The findings revealed that 27.8% of students exceeded the normal range for depression, 50% exceeded the normal range for anxiety, and 11.1% exceeded the normal range for stress. Next, there was no relationship between social support with depression, anxiety and stress. However, there were significantly strong positive relationships between depression, anxiety and stress. Then, there was no significant difference in depression, anxiety and stress between male and female international postgraduate students. Lastly, when social support was suggested (eight types) to be given, the students did not prefer a particular type of social support over others, but each type of social support suggested was still needed by the students. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2024 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24146/1/PP_9.pdf Ahmad Rohi Ghazali, and Mahmoud M. Dboba, and Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M, and Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie, and Wang Li, and Taufik Hidayat, and Wong Yee Yan, and Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan, (2024) Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM. Jurnal Personalia Pelajar, 27 (2). pp. 1-10. ISSN 0128-2735 https://www.ukm.my/personalia/publication-category/volume-27-number-2-june-2024
spellingShingle Ahmad Rohi Ghazali,
Mahmoud M. Dboba,
Alshangeeti Tahani Mostafa M,
Israa Abdul Sattar Ali Al Sammarraie,
Wang Li,
Taufik Hidayat,
Wong Yee Yan,
Raveena Vaidheswary Muralitharan,
Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title_full Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title_fullStr Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title_full_unstemmed Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title_short Navigating the new normal: how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences, UKM
title_sort navigating the new normal how social support affects mental health among international postgraduate students at the faculty of health sciences ukm
url http://journalarticle.ukm.my/24146/1/PP_9.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT ahmadrohighazali navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT mahmoudmdboba navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT alshangeetitahanimostafam navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT israaabdulsattaralialsammarraie navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT wangli navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT taufikhidayat navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT wongyeeyan navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm
AT raveenavaidheswarymuralitharan navigatingthenewnormalhowsocialsupportaffectsmentalhealthamonginternationalpostgraduatestudentsatthefacultyofhealthsciencesukm