Thousands of international students come to Australia each year seeking a quality education, but research shows that many feel stressed or depressed and are not seeking the support they need.

A raft of recent studies have documented growing concerns about the mental health of university students in Australia and internationally, with universities and other stakeholders actively developing new policies and practices in response.

Research by Orygen shows that international students are at increased risk of experiencing anxiety and poor mental health — with isolation from families and culture, language barriers, financial stress and academic pressures among the key drivers.

International students have also been found to be less likely to seek help than domestic students. A 2023 multi-institutional survey of 883 international and 2,852 domestic students at Australian universities found that international students scored lower on indicators including depression recognition and awareness of evidence-based forms of help. 

A coronial inquest in Victoria last year, reported by Guardian Australia, highlighted the need for the tertiary sector to encourage international students to seek help — especially students in crisis. That inquest delivered findings on the suicides of five international students in 2020, and noted that 47 international student suicides occurred in Victoria in the decade to 2019.

The findings underlined the need for students to seek the mental health and wellbeing support they need from their university or in the community.

Tony Wang is a second-year Chinese student in psychology at Monash University, which has more than 85,000 students enrolled and more than 29,000 international students.

Wang says he has felt depressed and lonely while studying in Australia.

“As an international student here I always feel nervous, not only for study but many perspectives of my life today,” he says.

Wang, who lives in student housing, says the difficulty if finding a sense of belonging in Australia, coupled with the language barrier for study, has made him feel “exhausted”. 

“I need to overcome a lot of pressure from study, such as the language barrier and the high rate of failing," Wang says. 

"The rate of failing units in Monash University is very high, so I need to spend a lot of time studying, which really makes me exhausted.”

Wang says he feels "like an outsider" in Australia.

“I can’t speak English like a local and my cultural background is completely different from Australian culture so it’s hard for me to make friends with local students here.

“And I meet few friends from my home country. I don’t know why but it’s hard to know each other and make friends,” he says.

“I really feel so lonely and helpless that I even want to escape.”

Associate Professor Xiaoping Fang, who is the head of Chinese Studies at Monash University, said it is normal for international students to be nervous and they should be confident in themselves.

“Many international students, especially those from China, shared their concerns with me and I can understand their difficulties,” he says.

“But firstly, I would say it’s a compulsory stage in your life and it’s a good chance for your development.” 

Fang suggests international students take elective units about their home country's culture.

“You can make many friends from your home countries or [who] are interested in your country’s culture via participating in these units — and learn more about your country’s culture and history; this will bring you the sense of belonging," he says.

“Like in Monash, we have Chinese translation and literature units for Chinese students, there are also similar units for students from other countries.”

Fang says the most important thing for international students to overcome pressure is to adjust their mindset.

“You should always be gentle on yourself,” he says. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and don’t be shy to ask for help.”

Associate Professor Kelly-Ann Allen, in the School of Educational Psychology and Counselling, said it is not unusual for international students to feel lonely and stressed.

"International students face a tremendous transition," Allen says. 

"They are living in an environment with a completely different predominant language and they have to face getting their heads around new systems and processes,” she says.

“I think it’s normal for students to feel lonely and stressed, but we need to view loneliness as a part of the normal human spectrum of emotion.”

Monash University promotes a wide range of support services that are targeted to international students, before and after they arrive in Australia. 

Allen says international students should adopt a range of different actions to build their sense of belonging.

“The first step is to look for opportunities to build your social networks to different groups, you should seek out like-minded people for opportunities to socially connect,” she says.

“The second thing is to reflect on your motivations and your sense of belonging: you should know how you might be combating feelings of loneliness.

“There is not going to be a magical elixir for combating feelings of loneliness but reflecting on how you might be able to socially connect could be a really good starting place.”

Allen says sometimes the barriers of belonging for international students can be their perceptions.

“So the third approach is to think about what stops you from being able to connect,” she says. “And think about ways that make you feel a sense of belonging to university.”

Allen suggests that international students spend more time improving their English to overcome the language barrier.

“Loneliness and pressure doesn’t need to be permanent. It takes time to change and students can feel a sense of belonging as the time goes by."

International students can have such a strong focus on study that they feel pressured, and they may forget to socially connect with people around them, she says.

“But we should really take a look at how we can be involved.”

Belonging takes time to develop, she says, adding that international students can gain a sense of belonging in Australia if they open their heart and keep a positive mindset.