Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study
In the post-COVID-19 era, significant changes have taken place regarding the epidemic, the economy, family and social life. However, it remains unclear how these changes encompass the psychological symptoms of college students. We carried out a cross-sectional study to investigate anxiety, depressio...
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/11/1553 |
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| author | Xing Wang Nan Zhang Changqin Pu Yunyue Li Hongguang Chen Mengqian Li |
| author_facet | Xing Wang Nan Zhang Changqin Pu Yunyue Li Hongguang Chen Mengqian Li |
| author_sort | Xing Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the post-COVID-19 era, significant changes have taken place regarding the epidemic, the economy, family and social life. However, it remains unclear how these changes encompass the psychological symptoms of college students. We carried out a cross-sectional study to investigate anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among college students from 10 November 2020, to 16 November 2020. The questionnaire included a self-designed canvas, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). Factors associated with psychological symptoms were estimated by ordered and non-conditional logistic regression analysis. Of 4754 participants, 25.0%, 29.7%, 3.4%, 15.3%, 17.1%, and 2.9% reported anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, one, any two, and all three, respectively. In cases with anxiety or depression symptoms, there was a 9.11% comorbidity with PTSD. Factors associated with fears of being infected, social, family, and economic changes increased the risk of psychological symptoms in college students caused by COVID-19. Female college students, identified with anxiety or depression symptoms, were at a lower risk of developing PTSD symptoms (OR, 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.86). Non-medical majors at university, rural residence, higher educational background, fear of taking public transport, and deterioration of family relationships increased the risk for PTSD symptoms among male respondents with anxiety or depression symptoms due to COVID-19. Factors correlated with psychological symptoms had expanded from the fear of being infected to extensive social, family, and economic changes caused by COVID-19. Therefore, screening and interventions for psychological symptoms should be consistently strengthened and more targeted to college students in the post-COVID-19 era. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:27:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cfffd07bb5a4d16894486ac9dd8274e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T18:27:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cfffd07bb5a4d16894486ac9dd8274e2023-11-24T07:49:41ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252022-11-011211155310.3390/brainsci12111553Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional StudyXing Wang0Nan Zhang1Changqin Pu2Yunyue Li3Hongguang Chen4Mengqian Li5School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330036, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, School of Public Policy and Administration, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, ChinaQueen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, ChinaQueen Mary College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, ChinaPeking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing 100083, ChinaDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, Gao Xin Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330029, ChinaIn the post-COVID-19 era, significant changes have taken place regarding the epidemic, the economy, family and social life. However, it remains unclear how these changes encompass the psychological symptoms of college students. We carried out a cross-sectional study to investigate anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among college students from 10 November 2020, to 16 November 2020. The questionnaire included a self-designed canvas, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), and Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). Factors associated with psychological symptoms were estimated by ordered and non-conditional logistic regression analysis. Of 4754 participants, 25.0%, 29.7%, 3.4%, 15.3%, 17.1%, and 2.9% reported anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, one, any two, and all three, respectively. In cases with anxiety or depression symptoms, there was a 9.11% comorbidity with PTSD. Factors associated with fears of being infected, social, family, and economic changes increased the risk of psychological symptoms in college students caused by COVID-19. Female college students, identified with anxiety or depression symptoms, were at a lower risk of developing PTSD symptoms (OR, 0.61, 95% CI: 0.43–0.86). Non-medical majors at university, rural residence, higher educational background, fear of taking public transport, and deterioration of family relationships increased the risk for PTSD symptoms among male respondents with anxiety or depression symptoms due to COVID-19. Factors correlated with psychological symptoms had expanded from the fear of being infected to extensive social, family, and economic changes caused by COVID-19. Therefore, screening and interventions for psychological symptoms should be consistently strengthened and more targeted to college students in the post-COVID-19 era.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/11/1553COVID-19mental healthanxietydepressionPTSDcollege students |
| spellingShingle | Xing Wang Nan Zhang Changqin Pu Yunyue Li Hongguang Chen Mengqian Li Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study Brain Sciences COVID-19 mental health anxiety depression PTSD college students |
| title | Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD among College Students in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | anxiety depression and ptsd among college students in the post covid 19 era a cross sectional study |
| topic | COVID-19 mental health anxiety depression PTSD college students |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/12/11/1553 |
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