scholarly journals Factors Influencing Depression and Mental Distress Related to COVID-19 Among University Students in China: Online Cross-sectional Mediation Study

10.2196/22705 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e22705
Author(s):  
Yanqiu Yu ◽  
Rui She ◽  
Sitong Luo ◽  
Meiqi Xin ◽  
Lijuan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background The COVID-19 epidemic may elevate mental distress and depressive symptoms in various populations in China. Objective This study investigates the levels of depression and mental distress due to COVID-19, and the associations between cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial factors, and depression and mental distress due to COVID-19 among university students in China. Methods A large-scale online cross-sectional study (16 cities in 13 provinces) was conducted among university students from February 1 to 10, 2020, in China; 23,863 valid questionnaires were returned. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depression. Structural equation modeling was performed to test mediation and suppression effects. Results Of the 23,863 participants, 47.1% (n=11,235) reported high or very high levels of one or more types of mental distress due to COVID-19; 39.1% (n=9326) showed mild to severe depression. Mental distress due to COVID-19 was positively associated with depression. All but one factor (perceived infection risks, perceived chance of controlling the epidemic, staying at home, contacted people from Wuhan, and perceived discrimination) were significantly associated with mental distress due to COVID-19 and depression. Mental distress due to COVID-19 partially mediated and suppressed the associations between some of the studied factors and depression (effect size of 6.0%-79.5%). Conclusions Both mental distress due to COVID-19 and depression were prevalent among university students in China; the former may have increased the prevalence of the latter. The studied cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial factors related to COVID-19 may directly or indirectly (via mental distress due to COVID-19) affect depression. Interventions to modify such factors may reduce mental distress and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Depression and Mental Distress Related to COVID-19 Among University Students in China: Online Cross-sectional Mediation Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanqiu Yu ◽  
Rui She ◽  
Sitong Luo ◽  
Meiqi Xin ◽  
Lijuan Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 epidemic may elevate mental distress and depressive symptoms in various populations in China. OBJECTIVE This study investigates the levels of depression and mental distress due to COVID-19, and the associations between cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial factors, and depression and mental distress due to COVID-19 among university students in China. METHODS A large-scale online cross-sectional study (16 cities in 13 provinces) was conducted among university students from February 1 to 10, 2020, in China; 23,863 valid questionnaires were returned. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess depression. Structural equation modeling was performed to test mediation and suppression effects. RESULTS Of the 23,863 participants, 47.1% (n=11,235) reported high or very high levels of one or more types of mental distress due to COVID-19; 39.1% (n=9326) showed mild to severe depression. Mental distress due to COVID-19 was positively associated with depression. All but one factor (perceived infection risks, perceived chance of controlling the epidemic, staying at home, contacted people from Wuhan, and perceived discrimination) were significantly associated with mental distress due to COVID-19 and depression. Mental distress due to COVID-19 partially mediated and suppressed the associations between some of the studied factors and depression (effect size of 6.0%-79.5%). CONCLUSIONS Both mental distress due to COVID-19 and depression were prevalent among university students in China; the former may have increased the prevalence of the latter. The studied cognitive, behavioral, and psychosocial factors related to COVID-19 may directly or indirectly (via mental distress due to COVID-19) affect depression. Interventions to modify such factors may reduce mental distress and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic.

scholarly journals Impulsivity Mediates Associations Between Problematic Internet Use, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Students: A Cross-Sectional COVID-19 Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julija Gecaite-Stonciene ◽  
Ausra Saudargiene ◽  
Aiste Pranckeviciene ◽  
Vilma Liaugaudaite ◽  
Inga Griskova-Bulanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Problematic Internet Use ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Moderate Increase ◽  
Cross Sectional

Background: Problematic internet use (PIU) is a serious global mental health issue that especially manifested during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Engagement in PIU as an impulsive coping with mental distress may pose a long-lasting threat to develop anxiety and depressive disorders. The first aim of our study was to investigate the prevalence of PIU and mental distress symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Lithuania. The second aim was to test the hypothesis that PIU affects anxiety and depressive symptoms through the mediating role of impulsivity.Methods: The cross-sectional study was comprised of 619 university students (92.9% females and 7.1% males) with a mean age of 22 ± 3 years who participated in an online survey from May to November, 2020. Participants completed the following scales: the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. K-means cluster analysis and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were used for group comparison in terms of internet use time and habit change during COVID-19 pandemic. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the mediating effect of impulsivity in association between PIU and mental distress, while controlling for age.Results: In sum, 45.1% of the participants reported PIU and 38.1% had markedly expressed symptoms of anxiety while 43.6% of the students reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. During the COVID-19 pandemic 76% of the students reported at least moderate increase in their internet use time. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly higher in the group of frequent internet users. The results of the structural equational modeling analysis showed a statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective anxiety symptoms and the statistically significant effect of PIU on subjective depression symptoms, both mediated via impulsivity.Conclusions: During COVID-19 pandemic, PIU, anxiety and depression symptoms are highly prevalent among students. Findings also suggest that relationships between PIU, anxiety and depressive symptoms are mediated via impulsivity. These results underscore the importance of the inclusion of impulsivity factor in the studies analyzing longitudinal effects of PIU on mental distress during COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Are Perfectionistic Thoughts an Antecedent or a Consequence of Depressive Symptoms? A Cross-Lagged Analysis of the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avi Besser ◽  
Gordon L. Flett ◽  
Simon B. Sherry ◽  
Paul L. Hewitt
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Automatic Thoughts ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Major Life Events ◽  
Major Life ◽  
Cross Sectional

Perfectionistic automatic thoughts have been linked with depressive symptoms in numerous cross-sectional studies, but this link has not been assessed in longitudinal research. An investigation with two timepoints was conducted to test whether perfectionistic automatic thoughts, as assessed by the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI), are contributors to subsequent depression or vice versa. The possible role of a third factor (major life events stress) was also evaluated. A sample of 118 university students completed the PCI, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Life Experiences Survey on two occasions with a 5-month interval. A cross-lagged analysis using structural equation modeling showed that above and beyond within-time associations and across-time stability effects, perfectionism automatic thoughts contributed to subsequent depressive symptoms and not vice versa. Negative life events stress was correlated significantly with both depressive symptoms and perfectionism automatic thoughts but did not have an influence on Time 2 depressive symptoms or on perfectionistic automatic thoughts. Our discussion focuses on perfectionistic automatic thoughts as a contributor to depressive vulnerability according to the perfectionism cognition theory.

scholarly journals SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS: A 6-YEAR CROSS-LAGGED PANEL ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S754-S755
Author(s):  
James Muruthi ◽  
J Tina Savla
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Panel Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Religious Services ◽  
Older African Americans

Abstract Although previous studies have extensively investigated the cross-sectional relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life, longitudinal studies have produced mixed results. Furthermore, studies on the associations between these two concepts among aging African Americans are few. Using a sample of 1688 older African Americans adults from waves 1 and 7 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (60% women; Average age = 77 years), the present study investigates the longitudinal associations between social engagement (an index from scores on visiting friends and family, attending religious services, attending religious services, participating in group activities, and going out for enjoyment) and depressive symptoms across seven years. Structural equation modeling was used to test cross-lagged relationships between the variables. Findings suggest that social engagement at baseline significantly predicted subsequent depressive symptoms and social engagement. Depressive symptoms at baseline, however, were not significantly associated with subsequent social engagement. These findings suggest that low social engagement in older African Americans is directly associated with increased depressive symptoms over time, but not vice versa. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the barriers of social engagement for older African Americans and its effects on their mental health.

An Exploratory Study of Pathways from White Matter Hyperintensities to Cognitive Impairment through Depressive Symptoms Using Structural Equation Modeling: A Cross Sectional Study in Patients with Dementia

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 679-689
Author(s):  
Chang Hyun Lee ◽  
Do Hoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensities ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional

AbstractObjective:The aim of this study was to model the relationships among white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), depressive symptoms, and cognitive function and to examine the mediating effect of depressive symptoms on the relationship between WMHs and cognitive impairment.Methods:We performed structural equation modeling using cross-sectional data from 1158 patients from the Clinical Research for Dementia of South Korea (CREDOS) registry who were diagnosed with mild-to-moderate dementia. Periventricular white matter hyperintensities (PWMHs) and deep white matter hyperintensities (DWMHs) were obtained separately on the protocol of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Depression and cognitive function were assessed using the Korean Form of the Geriatric Depression Scale (KGDS) and the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB), respectively.Results:The model that best reflected the relationships among the variables was the model in which DWMHs affected cognitive function directly and indirectly through the depressive symptoms; on the other hand, PWMHs only directly affected cognitive function.Conclusions:This study presents the mediation model including the developmental pathway from DWMHs to cognitive impairment through depressive symptoms and suggests that the two types of WMHs may affect cognitive impairment through different pathways.

Abstract P212: How Much Do Psychosocial Factors Mediate the Association Between Socioeconomic Status and 1-Year Angina After Myocardial Infarction?

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M Buchanan ◽  
Kymberley K Bennett ◽  
Philip G Jones ◽  
Judith H Lichtman ◽  
John A Spertus
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Low Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Reserve Capacity ◽  
Capacity Model

Background: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. The Reserve Capacity Model (RCM) is a published, but not yet fully tested, framework linking SES, psychosocial factors and health outcomes. “Reserve capacity” is one's inter-/intrapersonal resources for managing stress. We tested the RCM to determine what portion of the association between SES and angina frequency 1 year post-MI is attributable to psychosocial factors. Methods: In 2481 post-MI patients enrolled in the 19-center PREMIER registry, we used confirmatory factor analysis to create latent variables of health-related SES and reserve capacity (including social support, optimism, and internal health locus of control). Structural equation modeling was used to test the associations between baseline SES, 1-month psychosocial factors (perceived stress, reserve capacity, and depressive symptoms) and 1-yr angina, adjusting for age, sex, and baseline angina. Results: The overall correlation between SES and 1-yr angina was significant (r = -.21*). Of this, 37% was explained by psychosocial factors. (See figure.) Higher SES was associated with greater reserve capacity (r = .43*), which was strongly and inversely associated with stress (r = -.68*) and depressive symptoms (r = -.36*). Depressive symptoms were directly associated with angina (r = .12*). (*p < .05) Conclusion: These results validate the RCM, showing that perceived stress, reserve capacity, and depressive symptoms partially mediate the link between SES and 1-yr angina post-MI. This identifies possible areas for intervention to reduce SES-related disparities in angina and potentially other CV outcomes.

scholarly journals Assessing Knowledge, Preventive Practices, and Depression among Chinese University Students in Korea and China during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Online Cross-Sectional Study

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 433
Author(s):  
Bo Zhao ◽  
Fanlei Kong ◽  
Eun Woo Nam
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
University Students ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Chinese University ◽  
Chinese University Students

To investigate the knowledge, preventive practices, and depression of Chinese university students living in South Korea and Mainland China during the COVID-19 outbreak and explore the determinants of depression among these students, an online cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted from 23 March to 12 April 2020. The online questionnaire included questions on knowledge and preventive practices related to COVID-19, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to diagnose depressive symptoms. A total of 420 Chinese university students were finally included in the study (171 students from South Korea and 249 students from Mainland China). The majority of these students had a good level of knowledge of COVID-19. Students living in South Korea displayed better preventive practices than those living in Mainland China; however, the proportion of students (28.7%) with moderate-to-severe depression in this group was relatively higher than that (18.9%) of the Mainland Group (χ2 = 5.50, p < 0.05). More severe depression was related to high levels of concern about family members and contracting COVID-19 as well as suspecting themselves of having come into contact with patients. Displaying more preventive behaviors decreased the depressive symptoms in both groups. These data could be used as a reference for further studies in different regions to take measures (e.g., psychological counseling and encouragement for physical activities) to reduce depressive symptoms in university students.

scholarly journals The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Psychological Distress among Adolescents: Les Directives canadiennes en matière de mouvement sur 24 heures et la détresse psychologique chez les adolescents

2020 ◽  
pp. 070674372097086
Author(s):  
Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga ◽  
Jean-Philippe Chaput ◽  
Gary S. Goldfield ◽  
Ian Janssen ◽  
JianLi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Subjective Socioeconomic Status

Objective: The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day, 2 hours or less of recreational screen time per day, and 9 to 11 hours of sleep per night for 5 to 13 years old and 8 to 10 hours per night for 14 to 17 years old. This study examined the association between meeting these guidelines and psychological distress among adolescents. Methods: The present cross-sectional sample included 6,364 students aged 11 to 20 years from the 2017 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey. This provincially representative school-based survey is based on a 2-stage cluster design. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was first conducted to confirm the factor structure of the K6, and structural equation modeling adjusted for age, sex, ethnoracial background, subjective socioeconomic status, and body mass index z-score was used to investigate the association between meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and K6 factors among adolescents. Results: The CFA demonstrated that a 2-factor model (representing anxiety and depressive symptoms) of the K6 fit the data well. The anxiety and depression items demonstrated a composite reliability (Cronbach’s α) of 0.86 and 0.83, respectively, indicating a high level of internal consistency. Compared to meeting none of the recommendations, meeting all 3 movement behavior recommendations was associated with lower anxiety (β = −0.076; P = 0.028) and depressive symptoms (β = −0.067; P = 0.028). Meeting the screen time + sleep duration recommendations had the strongest association with anxiety (β = −0.157; P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = −0.139; P < 0.001), followed by meeting the sleep duration recommendation only for both anxiety (β = −0.135; P < 0.001) and depressive symptoms (β = −0.106; P < 0.001). Conclusions: Meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines was associated with lower anxiety and depressive symptoms among adolescents, and these associations appear mainly driven by meeting the sleep duration recommendation.

scholarly journals Social Capital and Educational Performance of Students: The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sima Rafiei ◽  
Roohollah Kalhor ◽  
Saeed Shahsavari ◽  
Zahra Nejatifar
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
University Students ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
P Value ◽  
Educational Performance ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behavior ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical University

Background: Nowadays, most organizations, including universities, are subject to significant changes. Thus, in order to adapt themselves successfully with such variations, they need skillful, innovative, self-confident, and entrepreneurial individuals. Accordingly, this study was conducted to predict medical university students' educational performance based on the existing social capital and their entrepreneurial behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done in 2019 based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) among 260 students of Qazvin Medical University. To collect information, three standard questionnaires, including Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998) social capital questionnaire, the entrepreneurial behavior questionnaire of Leon Dice, and the entrepreneurial performance questionnaire of Zamptakis and Vasilis Mustakis (2007), were used. After entering data in AMOS software, the associations between variables were analyzed by structural equation modeling. Results: Findings revealed that social capital and entrepreneurial behavior were influencing factors on the educational performance of students. The direct and indirect effects of social capital on educational performance (path coefficients: 0.798 and 0.44 respectively) were affirmed (P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Promoting social capital, innovation, and entrepreneurial behavior among university students can improve the educational performance of students. Thus, applying effective strategies to create trust in the education system and designing new approaches to use motivational methods in strengthening students' sense of creativity and innovative capabilities can effectively contribute to the improvement of their educational performance.

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