Background: Covid-19 pandemic adversely impacted the mental health and well-being of individuals across the globe. Home arrest, anxiety about family members back in their home country, and inability to travel back due to expensive flight tickets added to the stress experienced by the expatriates working outside their home country, in particular the Indian expatriates.
Aims: This study aimed to examine the well-being and stress levels of Indian expatriates working in ten different countries including Australia, Canada, UAE, Germany, Hongkong, Indonesia, Ireland, Oman, Singapore, and the USA.
Method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was implemented. The data was collected by administering an online questionnaire from expatriates. The Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) scale to measure emotional well-being (3 items), social well-being (5 items), and psychological well-being (6 items) was used. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) with 10 items was used to measure the stress levels. Several socio-demographic variables were also included in the study. The reliability scores for MHC-SF and PSS were 0.93 and 0.77 respectfully.
Results: Findings suggest that 40% of the Indian expatriates are flourishing and 60% are moderately well in these ten countries included in the study. However, 53% are undergoing high stress. Results were significantly different based on gender. The male sample showed higher well-being scores while women sample showed higher stress levels. One reason could be the cultural aspect of the home country. Implying that even after moving to a foreign country, the division of work may not be equal. Also, Indian expatriates working in Canada and the USA tend to be more flourishing than the expatriates working in other countries.
Conclusion: Several Indian expatriates are currently working in different countries across the globe. Policy makers and employers may design interventions to improve the well-being of these expatriates for them to flourish and contribute towards the economy of their respective countries.