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Social Distancing among Medical Students during the 2019 Coronavirus Disease Pandemic in China: Disease Awareness,
Huidi Xiao1, Wen Shu1, Menglong Li1
1Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Insights
Social distancing during COVID-19 significantly impacted medical students' mental health, increasing anxiety and depression. Even knowledgeable students required psychological support amidst the pandemic
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Medical Education
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated stringent social distancing measures in China.
- These measures profoundly affected the daily lives and well-being of medical students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the mental health status and behaviors of medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To evaluate the impact of social distancing on medical students in Beijing and Wuhan.
Main Methods:
- A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 4-12, 2020.
- Medical students completed self-administered questionnaires assessing COVID-19 awareness, anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9).
- Multivariable logistic regression and path analysis were used to identify risk factors for anxiety and depression.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of anxiety disorder was 17.1% and depression was 25.3% among surveyed students.
- Anxiety was linked to graduate student status, negative thoughts, and depression.
- Depression was associated with female gender, negative thoughts, and anxiety. Students in Wuhan reported higher anxiety than those in Beijing.
Conclusions:
- Medical students experienced significant psychological distress due to social distancing, particularly in Wuhan.
- Effective disease control knowledge did not prevent mental health challenges.
- Psychological support is crucial for medical students during public health crises.
Background:
During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, harsh social distancing measures were taken in China to contain viral spread. We examined their impact on the lives of medical students.
Methods:
A nation-wide cross-sectional survey of college students was conducted from 4-12 February 2020. We enrolled medical students studying public health in Beijing and Wuhan to assess their COVID-19 awareness and to evaluate their mental health status/behaviors using a self-administered questionnaire. We used the Patient Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Health Questionnaire-9 to measure anxiety disorders and depression. We used multivariable logistic regression and path analysis to assess the associations between covariates and anxiety disorder/depression.
Results:
Of 933 students, 898 (96.2%) reported wearing masks frequently when going out, 723 (77.5%) reported daily handwashing with soap, 676 (72.5%) washed hands immediately after arriving home, and 914 (98.0%) reported staying home as much as possible. Prevalence of anxiety disorder was 17.1% and depression was 25.3%. Multivariable logistic regression showed anxiety to be associated with graduate student status (odds ratio (aOR) = 2.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-3.5), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.4-1.7), and feeling depressed (aOR = 6.8; 95% CI: 4.0-11.7). Beijing students were significantly less likely to have anxiety than those in the Wuhan epicenter (aOR = 0.9; 95% CI: 0.8-1.0), but depression did not differ. Depression was associated with female students (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.3), negative thoughts or actions (aOR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5-1.9), and anxiety disorder (aOR = 5.8; 95% CI: 3.4-9.9). Path analysis validated these same predictors.
Conclusions:
Despite medical students' knowledge of disease control and prevention, their lives were greatly affected by social distancing, especially in the Wuhan epicenter. Even well-informed students needed psychological support during these extraordinarily stressful times.
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