Prevalence of depression among Chinese university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Gao, Li; Xie, Yuanchen; Chun-hua, Jia; Wang, Wei

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-72998-1

Cited by 122 publications

(85 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Common mental problems of college students include depression, compulsion, anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity [12][13][14][15]. Two recent systematic reviews found a prevalence of depression of 28.4% in Chinese college students, compared with 25% of postgraduate students suffering from mental illness [16,17]. Therefore, understanding the prevalence and predictors associated with college students' mental health could help to develop effective psychological interventions and reduce related adverse effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health of college students and associated factors in Hubei of China

2021

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Background Although many studies have analyzed mental health problems in college students in China, the associations of mental health with individual and family circumstances, academic performance, and social support were rarely discussed. Objectives The study aimed to determine the mental health status and its associated factors among college students in China. Methods An online survey was conducted on 300 students selected through a cluster sampling strategy in a university in Hubei, China, tapping into sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, their mental health status measured by the modified Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), and social support measured by the Social Support Rating Scale. Multivariate linear regression models were established to identify predictors of the SCL-90 scores. Results Mental health disorders were found in 8% of the respondents, with obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity and depression as the top three reported problems. Compared with the national population norms of university students in 2014, our study participants had higher scores in SCL-90. There were statistically significant difference in the Global Severity index (GSI) and all nine subscales scores (p<0.05). Poorer self-rated health, higher study pressure, and lower social support were significant predictors of higher SCL-90 scores (p<0.05) after adjustment for variations in other variables. Conclusions College students in Hubei, China may experience a range of different mental health problems, which are associated with their individual, study, and social circumstances.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health of college students and associated factors in Hubei of China

2021

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“…Furthermore, youth depression is a major risk factor for suicide (Majeed and Lee, 2017). University students experience depression at a significantly higher rate than the general population, and also higher than their non-college contemporaries (Bayram and Bilgel, 2008;Lei et al, 2016;Gao et al, 2020). However, negative attitudes and beliefs (stigma) toward people with depression are common.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Depression Among Male and Female, Medical and Non-medical Major College Students

Hao

et al. 2021

Front. Psychol.

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Background: Stigma is often reported to be a barrier to the treatment and rehabilitation of depression. However, little is known about stigma toward people with depression among college students in China.Methods: Using a questionnaire with a case vignette describing depression, a total of 1,056 students from nine colleges/universities in Hunan Province of China were included in this study. The questionnaire addressed the attitudes toward depression and the desire for keeping a distance from depressed individuals. The current study explored the stigma attitudes of college students toward people with depression and the desire for social distancing, as well as the gender (male and female) and major (medical and non-medical) differences.Results: Over half of the respondents agreed that people described in the vignette were “dangerous” (60.7%) and “could snap out of the problem” (58.7%). Compared with female students, males were more likely to agree that “If I had this problem, I would not tell anyone” (7.0 vs. 13.2%, p = 0.001); compared with non-medical students, medical students were more likely to agree that “The problem is a sign of personal weakness” (38.0 vs. 50.0%, p < 0.001). A lot of respondents would be unwilling to “marry into the family of people with depression” (71.1%) or “work closely with them” (45.1%). Compared with male students, females were more unwilling to “work closely with them” (40.3 vs. 47.5%, p = 0.026).Conclusion: This study found that a high proportion of Chinese college students showed stigma toward and desire for social distancing from people with depression, male students and medical major students showed higher stigma in some subscale items toward people with depression. The present results suggest that more anti-stigma interventions should be applied for Chinese college students to help prevent or reduce stigma attitudes toward people with depression.

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“…Nearly 47% of the university students suffered from different kinds of psychological problems, according to a national survey on the psychological well-being of Chinese university students in 2019 conducted by Dingxiangyuan and China Youth Daily ( 34 ). The meta-analysis study showed that the prevalence of depression among Chinese students ranged from 3 to 80.6% ( 35 ). The percentage of U.S. college students with a diagnosed mental health condition increased from 21.9% in 2007 to 35.5% in 2016–2017 ( 36 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematic Internet Use Was Associated With Psychological Problems Among University Students During COVID-19 Outbreak in China

Xie

Zhu

Qin

et al. 2021

Front. Public Health

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Background: As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progressed globally, school closures and home quarantine may cause an increase in problematic Internet use among students in universities. Such a traumatic stress event may also contribute to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive, and anxiety symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms as well as the predictive role of problematic Internet use in the above-mentioned psychological problems in university students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey of 8,879 students in China between April 20 and April 26, 2020. The presence of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms and problematic Internet use were evaluated using PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression 9-item scale, the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale, and the Young diagnostic questionnaire, respectively. Sociodemographic information and the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 data were also collected.Results: A total of 4,834 (54.4%) participants were female, and 7,564 (85.2%) were undergraduate students. A total of 615 students (6.9%) reported PTSD symptoms; 5.2% (465) and 10.1% (896) reported moderate to severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The problematic Internet use was significantly associated with higher risk of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms (odds ratio 2.662 [95% CI, 2.239–3.165], odds ratio 4.582 [95% CI, 3.753–5.611], odds ratio 3.251 [95% CI, 2.814–3.757], respectively; all P < 0.001). Lower attitude and practice scores also contributed to the risk of depressive, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms (P < 0.05).Conclusions: Psychological problems should be paid more attention, and problematic Internet use may be a predictor when screening high-risk students for psychological problems. Our results will aid in timely psychological screening, which is meaningful in the prevention and intervention of psychological problems.

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Prevalence of depression among Chinese university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Cited by 122 publications

References 27 publications

Mental health of college students and associated factors in Hubei of China

Mental health of college students and associated factors in Hubei of China

Stigmatizing Attitudes Toward Depression Among Male and Female, Medical and Non-medical Major College Students

Problematic Internet Use Was Associated With Psychological Problems Among University Students During COVID-19 Outbreak in China

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