Abstract
Background: The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a global health threat.Aims: This study assessed the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic and explored potential moderating factors.Methods: We searched English and Chinese databases using pertinent keywords for articles published and unpublished, up until November 2020. The estimate of the overall prevalence of anxiety and depression was conducted through a random-effects model.Results: A total of 31 cross-sectional studies were included. The overall prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese students during the COVID-19 pandemic was 24.0% (95% CI [20.0–29.0%]) and 22.0% (95% CI [18.0–27.0%]) respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that Chinese middle school students were at heightened risk of anxiety, while university students were at heightened risk of depression. Students who lived in higher-risk areas presented severe anxiety and depression, especially during the late period of the COVID-19 epidemic.Conclusions: Overall, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high prevalence of anxiety in Chinese students and a high prevalence of depression among Chinese students in high-risk areas. Therefore, comprehensive and targeted psychological interventions should be developed to address the mental health of students in different grades, especially in high-risk areas and during the late period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)—caused by SARS-CoV-2—is an emerging, rapidly evolving pandemic [1]
It is necessary to explore the incidence of anxiety and depression symptoms of students in China during the COVID-19 to provide data that may help in controlling the global COVID-19 pandemic
The results revealed a high level of anxiety in Chinese students during (24.0%) vs. before (17.0%) [64] the COVID-19 pandemic
Summary
The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19)—caused by SARS-CoV-2—is an emerging, rapidly evolving pandemic [1]. Anxiety and depressive symptoms have been common mental health problems for populations during the COVID-19 pandemic [2, 7]. Prolonged anxiety and depression are associated with increased levels of negative mental health of students, resulting in symptoms such as fear, stress, insomnia [10, 11], and behaviors such as aggression, smartphone addiction, and suicide [12]. The proportion of students who experienced anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 is unclear. It is necessary to explore the incidence of anxiety and depression symptoms of students in China during the COVID-19 to provide data that may help in controlling the global COVID-19 pandemic. The novel 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide and poses a global health threat
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
