The effects of Covid-19 on the psychology and learning behaviors of Vietnamese students in Finland

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its deadly effects have urged the Finnish government to implement various measures to slow down the virus's spread. These measures resulted in numerous impacts on human beings. Students were among the groups affected the most. Within this context, this work's objective was to study the relationship between the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the learning behaviors of international students living in Finland. A quantitative research approach was adopted using an online survey based on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and 5-point Likert-type scales. The data were analyzed inductively, using Google Form and Microsoft Excel tools. There were 103 respondents, 36% of which experienced moderate to severe anxiety levels, 33% mild anxiety, and 31% minimal anxiety. More than 50% of respondents agreed with all the stressors and changes caused by psychological impacts during the COVID-19 epidemic that the researcher built in the survey. For psychology intervention, more than two-thirds of participants chose digital channels over traditional ones. The survey also found some cases showing a negative attitude towards psychological help seeking due to cultural mistrust, and adherence to Asian values. Various Asian students consider searching for psychological help as stigma and shame. The study results suggest that COVID-19 has had significant negative influences on the psychological health and study behaviors of Vietnamese students living in Finland. The work also offered value by providing better insights into the international students' daily lives, suggestions for building a better psychological intervention plan, and interpretation of their academic performance during crises