Boredom Proneness on Chinese College Students' Phubbing during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Mediating Effects of Self-Control and Bedtime Procrastination.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students and examine how self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate this relationship during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: A total of 707 Chinese college students were voluntarily surveyed. They completed the Generic Scale of Phubbing (GSP), Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS), Bedtime Procrastination Scale (BPS), and Self-Control Scale (SCS). Results: (1) The results revealed that men scored higher on boredom than women. (2) The analysis revealed significant associations between each of the variables. Boredom proneness was positively correlated with bedtime procrastination (r = 0.318; P < 0.001) and phubbing (r = 0.418; P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with self-control (r = -0.518; P < 0.001). (3) Mediation analysis suggested that self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the relationship between boredom proneness and phubbing (effect of self-control = 0.094, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.062∼0.128]; effect of bedtime procrastination = 0.025, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.011∼0.042]; and effect of self-control and bedtime procrastination = 0.032, P < 0.001, 95% CI [0.020∼0.046]). Conclusion: Self-control and bedtime procrastination mediate the association between boredom proneness and phubbing among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prevalence of mental health problems in frontline healthcare workers after the first outbreak of COVID-19 in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: More than 210,000 medical workers have fought against the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei in China since December 2019. However, the prevalence of mental health problems in frontline medical staff after fighting COVID-19 is still unknown. METHODS: Medical workers in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei Province were invited to participate a cross-sectional and convenience sampling online survey, which assessed the prevalence of anxiety, insomnia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). RESULTS: A total of 1,091 responses (33% male and 67% female) were valid for statistical analysis. The prevalence was anxiety 53%, insomnia 79%, depression 56%, and PTSD 11%. Healthcare workers in Wuhan were more likely to face risks of anxiety (56% vs. 52%, P = 0.03) and PTSD (15% vs. 9%, P = 0.03) than those in other cities of Hubei. In terms of educational attainment, those with doctoral and masters' (D/M) degrees may experience more anxiety (median of 7.0, [interquartile range (IQR) 2.0-8.5] vs. median 5.0 [IQR 5.0-8.0], P = 0.02) and PTSD (median 26.0 [IQR 19.5-33.0] vs. median 23.0 [IQR 19.0-31.0], P = 0.04) than those with lower educational degrees. CONCLUSIONS: The mental problems were an important issue for the healthcare workers after COVID-19. Thus, an early intervention on such mental problems is necessary for healthcare workers.

Mental Disorders of Healthcare Workers Fighting COVID-19: Little Relieved After One Month (preprint)

Background: More than 210,000 medical workers have fought against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hubei of China since December 2019. However, it was unknown if the mental health disorders for frontline medical staff was relieved one month later. Methods: Medical workers in Wuhan and other cities in Hubei Province was requested to fill out an online survey, which assessed their degrees of anxiety, insomnia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Outcomes: A total of 1,091 respondents (32·63% male, 67·37% female) were valid for statistical analysis. The prevalence was anxiety (52·98% with male 50·84% and female 54·01%), insomnia (78·83% with male 78·09% and female 79·18%), depression (56·10% with male 55·34% and female 56·46%) and PTSD (11·09% with male 10·11% and female 11·56%). For educational attainment, those with doctoral and masters’ degrees (D/M) may suffer from more anxiety (median 7·0 [IQR 2·0-8·5] vs. median 5·0 [IQR 5·0-8·0], P =0·02) and PTSD (median 26·0 [IQR 19·5-33·0] vs. median 23·0 [IQR 19·0-31·0], P =0·04) than those with lower educational degrees. Interpretation: Mental disorders of healthcare workers were little relieved one month after they had ended fighting COVID-19, and potential mitigating factors and interventions is necessary.Funding Statement: The study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (8174356); the Open Project of Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research (Hubei University of Medicine) (WDCM2018002); the Key Discipline Project of Hubei University of Medicine and the Foundation for Innovative Research Team of Hubei University of Medicine (2018YHKT01).Declaration of Interests: The authors declared no interest conflict in this study.Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the Ethic Committee of Renmin Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine.