BACKGROUND Examining patterns of media consumption and their associations with mental health outcomes in the general population during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has implications for public mental ...BACKGROUND Examining patterns of media consumption and their associations with mental health outcomes in the general population during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has implications for public mental health in future pandemics.AIM To investigate patterns of media consumption and their associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms among adults affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS A total of 8473 adults were recruited through snowball sampling for an online cross-sectional survey.The participants were asked to report the three media sources from which they most frequently acquired knowledge about COVID-19 from a checklist of nine media sources.Depression and anxiety were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale,respectively.A two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct clusters of consumption of media sources.RESULTS Seven clusters were identified.The lowest prevalence of depression and anxiety(29.1%and 22.8%,respectively)was observed in cluster one,which was labeled“television and news portals and clients,minimal social media”.The highest prevalence of depression(43.1%)was observed in cluster three,labeled“WeChat,MicroBlog,and news portals,minimal traditional media”.The greatest prevalence of anxiety(35.8%)was observed in cluster seven,which was labeled“news clients and WeChat,no newspaper,radio,or news portals”.Relative to cluster one,a significantly elevated risk of depression and anxiety was found in clusters three,six(labeled“news portals and clients,WeChat,no newspaper and radio”)and seven(adjusted odds ratio=1.28-1.46,P≤0.011).Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the risk of COVID-19 infection and knowledge about COVID-19 partially explained the variations in the prevalence of depression and anxiety across the seven clusters.CONCLUSION Communication policies should be designed to channel crucial pandemic-related information more effectively through traditional and digital media sources.Encouraging the use of these media and implementing regulatory policies to reduce misinformation and rumors on social media,may be effective in mitigating the risk of depression and anxiety among populations affected by the pandemic.展开更多
BACKGROUND Revisiting the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress symptoms(PTSSs)among university students during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic as well as understanding the mental health help-seeking beh...BACKGROUND Revisiting the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress symptoms(PTSSs)among university students during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic as well as understanding the mental health help-seeking behavior of individuals with PTSSs has critical implications for public mental health strategies in future medical pandemics.AIM To investigate the prevalence and correlates of PTSSs among university students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and to examine mental health help-seeking behaviors among these students.METHODS A total of 2507 Chinese university students were recruited via snowball sampling.The students completed the Seven-item Screening Scale for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.Sociodemo-graphic characteristics,pandemic-related characteristics,and mental health help-seeking behaviors of students with PTSSs were also collected.RESULTS The prevalence of PTSSs among the participants was 28.0%.Seven significant correlates of PTSSs were identified(odds ratio=1.23-3.65,P≤0.024):Female sex,being 19 years old or older,living with others or alone,a low level of family economic status,fair or poor interpersonal relationships,severe or very severe local pandemic,and having family members diagnosed with COVID-19.However,only 3.28%of the students with PTSSs reported seeking help from mental health specialists.Among the 23 students who sought help from mental health specialists,13 opted for online or telephone-based psychological consultation.CONCLUSION Our data suggest that there was a high risk of PTSSs among university students and a high level of unmet mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.The delivery of mental health services online or via telephone is a promising approach to address these unmet needs.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.71774060the Young Top Talent Program in Public Health from Health Commission of Hubei Province,No.EWEITONG[2021]74.
文摘BACKGROUND Examining patterns of media consumption and their associations with mental health outcomes in the general population during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has implications for public mental health in future pandemics.AIM To investigate patterns of media consumption and their associations with depressive and anxiety symptoms among adults affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS A total of 8473 adults were recruited through snowball sampling for an online cross-sectional survey.The participants were asked to report the three media sources from which they most frequently acquired knowledge about COVID-19 from a checklist of nine media sources.Depression and anxiety were assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale,respectively.A two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct clusters of consumption of media sources.RESULTS Seven clusters were identified.The lowest prevalence of depression and anxiety(29.1%and 22.8%,respectively)was observed in cluster one,which was labeled“television and news portals and clients,minimal social media”.The highest prevalence of depression(43.1%)was observed in cluster three,labeled“WeChat,MicroBlog,and news portals,minimal traditional media”.The greatest prevalence of anxiety(35.8%)was observed in cluster seven,which was labeled“news clients and WeChat,no newspaper,radio,or news portals”.Relative to cluster one,a significantly elevated risk of depression and anxiety was found in clusters three,six(labeled“news portals and clients,WeChat,no newspaper and radio”)and seven(adjusted odds ratio=1.28-1.46,P≤0.011).Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that the risk of COVID-19 infection and knowledge about COVID-19 partially explained the variations in the prevalence of depression and anxiety across the seven clusters.CONCLUSION Communication policies should be designed to channel crucial pandemic-related information more effectively through traditional and digital media sources.Encouraging the use of these media and implementing regulatory policies to reduce misinformation and rumors on social media,may be effective in mitigating the risk of depression and anxiety among populations affected by the pandemic.
文摘BACKGROUND Revisiting the epidemiology of posttraumatic stress symptoms(PTSSs)among university students during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic as well as understanding the mental health help-seeking behavior of individuals with PTSSs has critical implications for public mental health strategies in future medical pandemics.AIM To investigate the prevalence and correlates of PTSSs among university students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and to examine mental health help-seeking behaviors among these students.METHODS A total of 2507 Chinese university students were recruited via snowball sampling.The students completed the Seven-item Screening Scale for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China.Sociodemo-graphic characteristics,pandemic-related characteristics,and mental health help-seeking behaviors of students with PTSSs were also collected.RESULTS The prevalence of PTSSs among the participants was 28.0%.Seven significant correlates of PTSSs were identified(odds ratio=1.23-3.65,P≤0.024):Female sex,being 19 years old or older,living with others or alone,a low level of family economic status,fair or poor interpersonal relationships,severe or very severe local pandemic,and having family members diagnosed with COVID-19.However,only 3.28%of the students with PTSSs reported seeking help from mental health specialists.Among the 23 students who sought help from mental health specialists,13 opted for online or telephone-based psychological consultation.CONCLUSION Our data suggest that there was a high risk of PTSSs among university students and a high level of unmet mental health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.The delivery of mental health services online or via telephone is a promising approach to address these unmet needs.
