Trends of college students' mental health from 2005 to 2019 and its rural-urban disparities in China

Anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 lockdown in the post-epidemic era: an online cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect the mental health of college students in the post-epidemic era. We assessed the status and related factors of college students who are vulnerable to anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 lockdown.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted two weeks after the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, from November 6, 2022, to December 2, 2022, with 1176 valid samples using convenience sampling. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to measure levels of anxiety and depression in college students. Factors related to anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity were analyzed using binary logistic regression.

RESULTS

The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity were 27.04%, 34.10%, and 25.60%, respectively. There was a higher risk of anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity among those who were currently living in rural areas. Compared with individuals with low monthly living expenses, those with higher monthly living expenses were less prone to anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

High prevalence of anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity were detected among college students during the COVID-19 lockdown. These were most common among college students who were senior students, had abnormal body mass index (BMI), were rural area residents, did study arts and humanities, were one-child in the family, and had low monthly living expenses and poor academic performance. Intervention practitioners and policymakers should formulate individualized prevention and intervention measures during the COVID-19 lockdown in the post-epidemic and possible future pandemics for college students.

Mental health and cognitive function among medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Background

Chinese people experienced a nationwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic after the adjustment of epidemic response policies from December 2022 to January 2023. This study aims to explore the prevalence of mental and cognitive symptoms and their associated factors among medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 27th and March 8th, 2023. The symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and cognitive function among medical students were examined using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), and the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression-5 (PDQ-D-5). Data on demographic information was also collected. Statistical analyses were conducted to describe the prevalence and explore the associated factors of mental and cognitive symptoms.

Results

Among 947 participants, the proportion of students experiencing anxiety, depression, insomnia, and PTSD symptoms was 37.8, 39.3, 28.3, and 29.5%, respectively. The self-reported COVID-19 infection rate was 72.2%. Higher grades, childhood, and current rural residence were identified as potential risk factors for mental and cognitive symptoms. Gender, age, average monthly household income, and COVID-19 diagnosis were not associated with mental and cognitive symptoms among medical students.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed a high prevalence of mental and cognitive symptoms among Chinese medical students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Special attention should be paid to the mental health of higher-grade students and those residing in rural areas.

Screen-based sedentary behaviors but not total sedentary time are associated with anxiety among college students

Objective

The purpose of the study was to investigate the associations of device-measured total sedentary time and screen-based sedentary time with anxiety in college students.

Methods

Three hundred and twenty-one college students (mean age = 19.72 ± 1.18, 55.8% females) were recruited from Shanghai, China. Total sedentary time was objectively measured using accelerometry, while screen-based sedentary time was self-reported. Anxiety symptom was evaluated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. Linear regression modeling was used to assess the associations of total sedentary time and screen-based sedentary time with anxiety symptom.

Results

Accelerometer-assessed total sedentary time was not associated with anxiety symptom. Prolonged sedentary time on TV and movie viewing (>2 h on weekdays) and social media using (>2 h on weekdays and weekend) were associated with a higher level of anxiety. However, time on video gaming and recreational reading was not associated with anxiety symptom.

Conclusion

The findings indicated that screen-based sedentary behaviors but not total sedentary time were associated with anxiety symptom among college students. The associations of screen-based sedentary behaviors with anxiety symptom varied by the types of screen time.

Families, Schools, and the Longitudinal Changes in Psychological Distress among College Students during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a National Panel Survey in China

BACKGROUND

The psychological well-being of students in higher education has become an increasingly important concern in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of prior studies were cross-sectional and thereby failed to capture the individual changes in mental health over time. Moreover, few studies have explored whether and how socioeconomic and education backgrounds could be related to college students' mental health changes. This study aimed to fill these gaps.

METHODS

Data were from a nationwide, two-wave panel survey of college students in China. Baseline information was collected in November 2019, i.e., before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. A follow-up survey was conducted in November and December 2020, when the epidemic was effectively contained in mainland China. In both waves, mental health was assessed with the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The between-wave changes in psychological distress were measured and categorized.

RESULTS

Overall, 13.5% of students experienced at least a one-standard-deviation increase in psychological distress over the one-year follow-up. Results from both bivariate and multivariable analysis showed that this marked distress increase was more pronounced among vocational college students (vs. academic undergraduate and postgraduate students) and those with lower levels of academic performance. In contrast, family socioeconomic status (as measured by parental education, family economic condition, and current residence) was not associated with distress changes over time.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of the educational disparities within the higher education system in understanding the mental health dynamics of college students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.