Psychological Impact and Associated Factors During the Containment Stage of Covid-19 Epidemic Among College Students in China (preprint)

Background College students are a uniquely vulnerable group and may experience high stress levels due to COVID-19. This study aims to identify the the psychological state and related factors on Chinese college students during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods From February 23 to March 5, 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 3606 college students from seven provinces in China using standard questionnaires measuring adverse psychological outcomes and related factors including Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used to determine underlying constructs of the perceived threat items. Multivariate regression was used to explore the determinants of adverse psychological impact. Results Posttraumatic stress (PTS) were prevalent in this sample of college students, and 34.22% met the cut-off for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The proportion of having mild to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were 15.70%, 13.31% and 7.10%, respectively. The impact of closed-off management on life, perceived threat and passive coping strategies were positively correlated to PTS and DASS scores, while knowledge score, perceived social support and active coping strategies were negatively correlated to DASS scores. Conclusions In summary, adverse psychological symptoms were prevalent among college students in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Identifying vulnerable populations and formulating correspondingly psychological interventions would be beneficial to improve the mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 on medical care workers in China (preprint)

Background: Medical care workers experienced unprecedented levels of workload and pressure since the outbreak of COVID-19 started from the end of 2019. Little is known about its exact impact on medical care workers and related factors in China. This study aims to identify the psychological impact of COVID-19 on medical care workers in China. Methods: From February 23 th to March 5 th , 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 863 medical care workers from 7 provinces in China using standard questionnaires measuring adverse psychological outcomes including Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale（DASS）and related psychosocial factors like perceived threat, social support and coping strategies. Exploratory Factor analysis was performed to identify the dimensions of perceived threat by study participants. Multivariate regression was used to examine the determinants of adverse psychological outcomes. Results: Posttraumatic stress (PTS) were prevalent in this sample of health care professionals, and 40.2% indicated positive screens for significant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The proportion of having mild to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were 13.6%, 13.9% and 8.6%, respectively. Perceived threat and passive coping strategies were positively correlated to PTS and DASS scores, while perceived social support and active coping strategies were negatively correlated to DASS scores. Nurses were more likely to be anxious than others among medical care workers during the COVID-19 epidemic. Conclusions: Adverse psychological symptoms were prevalent among medical care workers in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Screening for adverse psychological outcomes and developing corresponding preventive measures would be beneficial in decreasing negative psychological outcomes.