Only Children Were Associated with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms among College Students in China.

Shuo Cheng,Cunxian Jia,Yongjie Wang

doi:10.3390/ijerph17114035

Shuo Cheng, Cunxian Jia + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114035

Copy DOI

Abstract

This study explored the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students and analyzed the associations between only children and anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students in China. A total of 645 college students, from three universities in Jinan, Shandong, China, were investigated by questionnaire. The self-designed general information questionnaire was used to collect the demographic information such as gender, age, only children or not and so on. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale were used to reflect the psychological state of college students. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze associated factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms. We have found that there were 25.7% college students with anxiety symptom, 22.2% college students with depressive symptom, and 18.3% college students with a comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in only children was higher than those among non-only children. There were no differences between males and females in anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms among all college students, only child college students and non-only child college students. Only children were associated with anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms after adjusting potential important confounding factors, such as professional category, grade, parental relationship, parenting style, interpersonal relationship, activity participation enthusiasm, sleeping time, and eating habits. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students was high. We should pay more attention to the mental health of college students, especially that of only child college students.

Highlights

Anxiety and depression are common mental diseases
We found only children were associated with anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms, which is consistent with the results of Li Dan et al [46]
This study showed that eating habits and sleeping time were associated with anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and the comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms

Summary

Introduction

Anxiety and depression are common mental diseases. People with anxiety are nervous, anxious, or avoid the perception of environmental threats (such as social situations or unfamiliar position) or their own inner selves (such as unusual physical sensations) [1]. Anxiety is highly prevalent in the general population and associated with impairment, disability, and neuropsychological deficits [2,3]. Anxiety is the main cause of disability-adjusted life years worldwide [4,5]. Y. et al [6] have found that the prevalence rate of anxiety disorder is 7.6% across the lifetime and 5.0% in the past 12 months in a representative survey of mental diseases in China.

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion