COVID-19 Lockdown in New Zealand: Perceived Stress and Wellbeing among International Health Students Who Were Essential Frontline Workers

Anita Jagroop-Dearing (), Griffin Leonard, Syed M. Shahid and Ondene van Dulm
Additional contact information
Anita Jagroop-Dearing: School of Health and Sport Science, Eastern Institute of Technology, Taradale Campus, 501 Gloucester Street, Hawkes Bay 4112, New Zealand
Griffin Leonard: Kōhatu Centre for Hauora Māori, Otago Medical School, University of Otago, Frederick Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
Syed M. Shahid: School of Health and Sport Science, Eastern Institute of Technology, Auckland Campus, 238 Queen Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Ondene van Dulm: School of Health and Sport Science, Eastern Institute of Technology, Taradale Campus, 501 Gloucester Street, Hawkes Bay 4112, New Zealand

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: This study examined the stresses and wellbeing of international postgraduate health and nursing students at a tertiary education institute in New Zealand who were mainly essential frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 lockdown. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected by purposeful sampling ( n = 43). The study utilised a cross-sectional survey, along with the Short Form of Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), adapted for the COVID-19 lockdown, and followed by semi-structured individual interviews. This study is the first in New Zealand to demonstrate that, with a mean PSS-10 score of 21.7 (±7.1), international health students experienced higher than optimal levels of stress, with supporting qualitative data identifying four themes for the sources of stress: (1) familial relationships, (2) essential work, (3) finances, and (4) study. However, these students coped because of the extensive support provided by their education institute and employers. These students played a critical role in the pandemic’s response and made a significant public health contribution by working in the frontline of the COVID-19 outbreak. Considering the global shortage of healthcare workers and understanding the key challenges, means of coping and support provisions, as we have here, offer insights for building and maintaining a resilient and resourceful health workforce through international health and nursing students in New Zealand and elsewhere.

Keywords: COVID-19; perceived stress; wellbeing; international nursing and health students; essential frontline workers; New Zealand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9688/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9688/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9688-:d:881803

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().