Data_Sheet_2_Psychological Distress and Trust in University Management Among International Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.docx

Since the end of 2019, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has engendered widespread fear and anxiety across China. Nearly half a million international students pursuing their studies in Chinese universities have also been exposed to the psychological distress triggered by the unfolding crisis. In addition to government and medical institutions' efforts, universities have also endeavored to mitigate concerns among these students under quarantine on campus by providing reliable information as well as medical, monetary, and emotional support. In this study, international students' trust in university management teams and its role in remediating their anxieties were evaluated using an online survey conducted after 10 days of the lockdown of Wuhan, China. The empirical analysis incorporates quantitative data from 180 international students. Ordinary least squares regression and probit regression were used in the analysis with the non-robust and robust models. The study found students' perception of trust in university management to be negatively associated with their anxiety levels. Additionally, having trust in university management was found to positively influence students' commitment to the self-quarantine guidelines. These results reinforce the important role of universities and their relationship with international students during public health emergencies.

自2019年末新冠疫情爆发以来，我国社会普遍笼罩在恐慌与焦虑之中。近五十万名在中国高校学习的国际学生亦深受这场危机引发的的心理困扰之苦。在政府及医疗机构努力应对的同时，各大学亦致力于通过提供可靠信息、医疗、经济及情感支持等方式，缓解校园隔离期间学生的担忧。本研究通过在武汉封城后第10天进行的在线调查，对国际学生对大学管理团队的信任及其在缓解焦虑方面的作用进行了评估。实证分析中纳入了180名国际学生的定量数据，运用普通最小二乘回归和概率单位回归方法，对非稳健和稳健模型进行了分析。研究发现，学生对大学管理团队的信任程度与其焦虑水平呈负相关，同时，对大学管理的信任亦被证实能够正面影响学生对隔离指导原则的承诺。这些结果进一步强调了在公共卫生紧急事件中，大学及其与留学生关系的重要作用。