New Medibank commissioned report reveals wellbeing gap for Australia's international students

New research released today by Medibank suggests that one in four international students living in Australia are struggling with their health and wellbeing, with loneliness emerging as a key warning sign of deeper risk.

Developed jointly by Medibank and international management consultancy Nous Group, and in partnership with six university partners, the report brings together the voices of international students, university perspectives, healthcare data and broader evidence to better understand the health and wellbeing experiences of students studying in Australia, and to identify opportunities to strengthen support.

The findings highlight the unique challenges many international students face as they navigate life in a new country while balancing study, work, financial pressures, and building new social connections.

The research indicates that:

• one in four international students struggle with their health and wellbeing;
• loneliness is a key warning sign of deeper health and wellbeing risks; and
• students who need support most are often the least able to access it.

Medibank Executive Overseas, Becky Hyde said that understanding students' experiences is critical to ensuring support is reaching those who need it most.

"International students make an enormous contribution to our communities, campuses and economy, but their experiences and wellbeing needs are often different to those of domestic students," she said.

"What we've heard is that for many students, health and wellbeing challenges don't start with a crisis. Feelings of loneliness, isolation and disconnection can be early warning signs that someone may be struggling, and the findings reinforce the importance of fostering genuine connection and belonging on campus and beyond.

“Creating opportunities for students to connect is important, but we also need to understand whether those efforts are actually helping people feel they belong.

“That means treating health navigation, peer connection and professional care as connected parts of the same student journey, rather than separate supports students must piece together themselves.

"We will use the insights and recommendations from this report to help shape how we better support our international student customers and university partners, particularly at key moments throughout the student journey when support is needed most."

The report identifies three priority areas for action:

• Identify and respond to emerging difficulties earlier.
• Treat social connection as core student success infrastructure.
• Build awareness of available supports and make them easier to access.

Nous Group Principal and Global Head of Higher Education Zac Ashkanasy said: "Most international students report a positive experience, but that headline hides a sizeable group facing pressures across their study, daily lives and social connections at the same time. Loneliness is an early warning sign of deeper risk, and social connection is not an add-on to the student experience."

"Universities are not starting from zero. Many already provide lots of great services, but not enough of the students at greatest risk are using them. The opportunity is a more connected, timely, and navigable system, designed around what students need rather than how universities are organised."

The report highlights how belonging isn’t an abstract quality. Students are more likely to ask for help when they feel they have a place in the community around them, and connection changes how students respond to pressure. A student who feels known is more likely to ask a question, attend a support session, or speak up before things escalate.

The report was released at the Australian International Education Conference (AIEC) in Sydney on Thursday 29 October, where Medibank and Nous will join university leaders and students to discuss the findings and opportunities to strengthen student wellbeing across the sector.

The report, National Report: International Student Health and Wellbeing, is available for download here.

About the report

The National Report: International Student Health and Wellbeing was developed jointly by Medibank and Nous Group. It draws on a survey of 2,296 international students across six universities, focus groups with more than 150 students, interviews with 42 university staff, student and university partner roundtables, university administrative data, Medibank OSHC claims data and existing literature.

The survey was cross-sectional, and its findings cannot be generalised to all international students in Australia.