Youth mental health before and after the control of the coronavirus disease 2019: A nationally representative cohort study of Chinese college students

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders reports Vol. 3; p. 100066
• Main Authors: Gong, Shun, Li, Lambert Zixin, Wang, Senhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.01.2021; The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aftermath; Brief Report; Psychological distress; Recovery; Rehabilitation; Resilience; Students; Aftermath; Rehabilitation; Students; Psychological distress; Recovery; Resilience
• ISSN: 2666-9153; 2666-9153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2020.100066

•Chinese college students’ mental health improved after the control of COVID-19.•Nearly a half had psychological distress during the outbreak of COVID-19.•Around one-fourth had the same psychiatric disorders after new cases declined.•Over a half recovered while mental health problems persisted for nearly a half.•Public health policies should target high-risk cases with slower recovery. To investigate youth mental health changes over the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using a national probability sample and longitudinal design. A representative sample of 4918 Chinese college students were surveyed during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic for the first wave and after the new cases steadily declined for the second wave. Mental health was measured by the ten-question Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Logistic regression model was fitted to compare changes in psychological distress before and after the peak of the pandemic. Of the respondents of both waves, 45.04% reported psychological distress during the initial outbreak of the pandemic and 26.49% reported it when new COVID-19 cases steadily declined. Psychological distress significantly reduced after the peak of the pandemic but persisted in some students. The study measured psychological distress once after the initial control of the COVID-19. More psychiatric disorders need to be traced as the pandemic continues to evolve. Although effective control of COVID-19 benefited young people's mental health, psychiatric disorders continued to be prevalent. Future research public health policies should target the speedy recovery of the high-risk cases with persistent mental health problems.