We Are All in This Together: Narratives of a Blended Intervention to Support Well-Being and Social Connectedness in International Students Enrolled to an Italian University

Abstract

Blended psychological interventions, comprising online and in-presence activities, represent an interesting opportunity to tackle the current well-being and mental health challenges in vulnerable populations such as international university students. The aim of this study is to explore the experiences of international students enrolled at the University of Padua (Italy) who participated in an 8 week blended intervention to support their well-being and social connectedness, comprising online and face-to-face activities focusing on different topics such as well-being, social-media usage, communication skills, challenges and resources of being an international student. A total of six participants took part in the intervention. In-presence group sessions were audio-recorded and thematically analysed. The results identified three overarching themes: participants' experiences and interactions in the group sessions, participants' experiences with the online self-help materials and participants' narratives during the group sessions. The intervention allowed for the identification of international students' needs and resources, and showed the usefulness and relevance of the blended modality to support their social connectedness and well-being, pointing out the strength of mutual support and the need for an active role of the hosting countries and universities as fundamental resources for international students. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.