Typology of Acquiring Life Skills and Mental Health in International Students in Japan during COVID-19

Abstract

Life Skills (LS) are essential in the COVID era because people acquire LS (learn different abilities) to adapt to problems that arise in their daily lives at different times. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to categorize and clarify the characteristics of LS acquisition and mental health among international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study surveyed 407(The final analysis included 134 undergraduates: M = 69, F = 65; Mean age=19.55) international students enrolled at two universities in the Kansai region of Japan, regardless of their nationality or subject major, from October to November 2021. Utilizing the University Student Edition of the Daily Life Skills Scale (English version) and three scales measuring Loneliness, Satisfaction, and Anxiety. Firstly, the target participants were classified into three clusters using the K-means method, denoted as "Maladaptive Type," "Adaptive Type," and "Expansive Type." Secondly, the results of correlation coefficients between three mental health questions and LS indicated significant correlations among Satisfaction, Anxiety, and Interpersonal and Personal skills. Significant correlations of 0.20 or more were observed among Satisfaction, Anxiety, Interpersonal (Satisfaction (r = 0.25, p < 0.01), Anxiety: (r=-0.28, p < 0.01)), and Personal skills (Satisfaction (r = 0.39, p < 0.01), Anxiety: (r=-0.47, p < 0.01)), as well as between Personal skills and Loneliness (r=-0.28, p < 0.01). Thirdly, while focusing on exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and total exercise time in the exercise habits of international students, an examination was conducted regarding the relationship with mental health and LS acquisition. The results indicated no significant relationships, and the study concluded that exercise habits did not affect the relationship between mental health and LS acquisition among international students during the COVID-19. In the future, to enhance support for international students, educational institutions are expected to promote LS acquisition to help students adapt to the new lifestyle resulting from the pandemic.