Mental Health Services for International Students
Master thesis
Submitted version
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2763726Utgivelsesdato
2021-06Metadata
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- Design [217]
Beskrivelse
This project explores how design can contribute to international students’ mental health in terms of service and system. The service concepts include supportive interventions like the brochure, the app and website, activities and tools, which are provided and facilitated by the main stakeholders, SiO and the school, by intervening in the system from three levels: international students, peer students, and the environments. The goal of these concepts is to help international students increase the awareness of mental health and know more about relevant services, build peer support and social contact, as well as get access to low-threshold mental health services.
When young adults move to a new country and start their study in a new environment as international students, they may meet different challenges in study and life. They can meet mental health challenges easily because of the cultural difference, language barrier, lack of awareness and knowledge of mental health, lack of social contact, the unfamiliarity of mental health services, etcetera. Besides, the pandemic situation can cause negative feelings and serious social isolation for international students.
A portfolio of concepts are proposed to solve the complicated problems in the system. The service concepts include supportive interventions like the brochure, the app and web-site, activities and tools, which are provided and facilitated by the main stakeholders, SiO and the school, by intervening in the system from three levels: international students, peer students, and the environments. Besides, the proposals which include findings and poten-tial interventions at the system level are drafted to deliver to the main stakeholders.
The value of this project is not only the final design concepts and proposals but also the process of design. During the process, I shared my findings, insights, methods, concepts with experts and stakeholders, like SiO and school, which also helps bring forward the problems, international students’ perspectives, as well as promote Service Design and System Oriented Design.