Association between psychological capital and depressive symptoms during COVID-19: The mediating role of perceived social support and the moderating effect of employment pressure.

Introduction: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affects individuals' mental health that can result in fear of getting COVID-19 infection and depression. Prior research has demonstrated that both psychological capital and perceived social support are related to the severity of depression. Yet no study explored the direction of associations between these factors. This undermines the validity of psychological capital as a basis for health interventions. Methods: This study aimed to explore the association between psychological capital, perceived social support, employment pressure, and depressive symptoms during COVID-19. A cross-sectional design was employed in a sample of 708 Chinese senior medical students who were asked to complete an online questionnaire survey. Results: Results indicated that psychological capital negatively predicts depressive symptoms (ß = -0.55, p < 0.001); perceived social support plays a mediating role in the impact of psychological capital on depressive symptoms (indirect = -0.11, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001, 95%CI [-0.16, -0.07]), and these associations were moderated by employment pressure. Medical students with high employment pressure, the negative impact of psychological capital on depressive symptoms was statistically significant (ß = -0.37, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.046, -0.27]); when the perceived employment pressure was low, the negative effect of psychological capital on depressive symptoms, although significant, was stronger (ß = -0.49, SE = 0.04, p < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.57, -0.40]). Discussion: The current study highlights that it is of great significance to address Chinese medical students' employment pressure and improve their mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Depressive Symptoms, Sleep Quality and Diet During the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Epidemic in China: A Survey of Medical Students.

The psychological condition of medical students may be influenced by the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This study investigated the prevalence and influencing factors of depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality and poor diet in students at Kunming Medical University during the early part of the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional study was used from a questionnaire survey in February 2020. Of a total of 1,026 study participants, the prevalence of depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, and poor diet was, respectively, 22.4, 33.2, and 17.4%. Male students and students with a low degree of focus on COVID-19 had a high risk of depressive symptoms. A high percentage of females and students in the fifth grade, as well as students with high levels of concern about the negative impact of COVID-19 on their education or employment, comprised those with poor sleep quality. Students in the fifth grade and students with high levels of concern about the negative impact of COVID-19 on their education or employment were more likely to report poor diet. This study suggests the importance of monitoring medical students' depressive state during the COVID-19 outbreak, and universities are encouraged to institute policies and programs to provide educational counseling and psychological support to help students to cope with these problems.