Ashrika Paruthi had just arrived in Australia to start her degree when COVID struck.
“I joined the University of Sydney in February 2020 and things were quite normal back then. The COVID 19 pandemic wasn’t really a big deal,” Ashrika told Hack.
Then case numbers started skyrocketing and Ashrika’s parents back home in India got worried.
“My parents started panicking when they heard that India might be closing its borders soon…. They asked me if I could come back.”
Once Ashrika cleared it with her uni, and heard her student visa would still be valid, she packed her bags and returned home.
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She’s been studying online ever since. But it’s been really tough.
“Since I am doing an arts course, and I’m doing international relations and politics, it’s extremely important for me and the other students to interact with each other,” she explained.
The uncertainty of when she’ll be able to return to Australia has really affected Ashrika and other international students who are currently locked out of Australia due to closed borders.
“Offshore international students in particular, have been feeling extremely, extremely anxious. And a lot of them are also suffering with depression,” she said.
High rates of mental health conditions
A report out earlier this year by the Council of International Students, or CISA, found students stuck overseas suffered extremely high rates of mental health disorders.
Around 93 per cent of the 607 people surveyed said they experienced stress, anxiety or depression, and more than a quarter had contemplated self-harm.
Ashrika is part of a support group for international students stuck abroad and she said financial stress is a massive factor in poor mental health outcomes.
“A lot of students, especially post grad students, put their jobs at stake to come to Australia to study for their masters,” Ashrika said.
“They take up huge student loans which can have an interest rate of 10 to 12 per cent.”
She said many can’t work part-time in their home countries while studying, and that they’re worried about whether completing their studies online will be a disadvantage when looking for a job.
“They feel that they might not be employable at the end of the entire pandemic, when the smoke clears.”
Ashrika Paruthi is hoping she’ll be able to come back to Australia to study when the borders reopen.
Ashrika Paruthi is hoping she’ll be able to come back to Australia to study when the borders reopen.
Ashrika said many people in her situation had been locked out of receiving professional mental health support.
“According to Australia’s law, you cannot really access mental health care support, you cannot basically get in touch with a certified therapist or counsellor, if you’re offshore,” she explained.
Stigma a huge barrier
Accessing mental health services in their home countries might not be as straightforward as expected, either.
There might be a lack of services, or prohibitively expensive costs for students.
But moreso, many people from diverse backgrounds face stigma in talking about mental health concerns.
“Most of these students who are currently offshore come from Asian backgrounds and mental health in Asia is still a taboo,” Ashrika said.
Pre-pandemic, the vast majority of Australia’s international students came from China or India.
Ruth Das is part of the Embrace Project, an initiative run through Mental Health Australia to help diverse communities prioritise and talk about their mental health.
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She told Hack that stigma can be a huge reason why people don’t or can’t reach out for help.
“Some cultures may view mental health problems as a spiritual or a supernatural problem, caused by things like the evil eye or demons, or from dishonouring your ancestors. That can really cause a sense of shame and loss of status in a community,” she said.
“So people are very reluctant to disclose their mental illness, or their distress, and they want to keep it a secret or to hide it.”
“The fear of rejection and being ostracised from your community, if it’s found out that you have a mental health problem, is very real. And it does stop people from talking about mental health openly, and also stop people from seeking help,” Ruth said.
Ruth explained that while young people may feel safe discussing mental health problems or seeking help in Australia, that’s not always the case when they’re in their home countries.
“Young people are often exposed to conversations at school and university where they talk about mental health openly and without fear of retribution or stigma.”
“Often, young people can feel very torn between their parents who may be more traditional and hold on to the culture that they’ve come from, and interacting with their peers,” she said.
COVID adds a whole new layer to that, as young people can be stuck at home and may not be able to confidentially seek help without raising the suspicion of their parents.
Students seeks support from peers
Last year Orygen Youth Mental Health released a report on the health and wellbeing of international students.
“We found in this report that international students seek support from their peers first,” Orygen peer support project manager Rafi Armanto told Hack.
He’s working on a project that offers peer support to international students in their university or private college.
“We hope to really break down some of the stigma surrounding mental ill health and help connect students to mental health supports earlier.”
Rafi said international students stuck overseas can face isolation and loneliness.
Rafi Armanto is a peer support worker with Orygen Youth Mental Health.
Rafi Armanto is a peer support worker with Orygen Youth Mental Health.
“The transition to online learning has meant that international students are unable to make the meaningful friendships, connections and networks that are otherwise able to do within the classroom,” he said.
Peer support services aren’t a substitute for mental health services for people with complex needs, but Rafi said they can help connect people who’ve gone through similar experiences.
“What we’re aiming to do with this project is create these… one-on-one or group support settings where a peer worker expresses and shares their lived experience,” he said.
” try to encourage them and empower them to seek services where they are accessible in their home countries, but also find the appropriate services in their universities.”
