Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34134022›Full record

SynthesisJournal of affective disorders2021

Prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis.

Jun-Jie Chang, Yan Ji, Yong-Han Li, Hai-Feng Pan, Pu-Yu Su

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of affective disorders, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 125 papers, 14 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
125citing papers in PubMed, 14 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

125 citing papers in PubMed, 14 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  3. AI in Medical Questionnaires: Scoping ReviewJournal of medical Internet research · 2025
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  6. The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
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  11. Prevalence of Anxiety in University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
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  13. Prevalence of Anxiety in Dental Students during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Pooled it
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65 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Jun-Jie ChangDepartment of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No.81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
Yan JiDepartment of Public Health, Anhui Medical College, No.632 Furong Road, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China.
Yong-Han LiDepartment of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No.81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
Hai-Feng PanDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
Pu-Yu SuDepartment of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No.81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. Electronic address: supuyu@ahmu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought huge changes to people's lifestyles, college students have also been affected seriously. Evidence about these significant changes indicated that college students were more prone to feel anxious and depressed. To derive a precise assessment of the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among college students worldwide, we conducted this meta-analysis.

methodsBased on the guidance of PRISMA, literature was searched in Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and PsycArticles (last search November 6, 2020). These articles after the screening were analyzed by a random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom. Also, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were performed in this meta-analysis.

resultsThe results showed that the pooled anxiety symptom prevalence was 31% (95% CI: 23-39%), pooled depressive symptom prevalence was 34% (95% CI: 27-41%). Subgroup analysis showed that the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among different countries' college students were different, and the pooled depressive symptom prevalence of females was higher compared with males. LIMITATIONS: The prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom in worldwide college students could be better assessed by a standard and reliable questionnaire.

conclusionsThe results suggest that the prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom during the COVID-19 pandemic is relatively high. Except for interventions that should be taken to control the pandemic urgently, mental health services are also needed to decrease the risk of anxiety and depression among college students.

Indexed as

AnxietyCOVID-19DepressionFemaleHumansMalePandemicsPrevalenceSARS-CoV-2StudentsAnxiety symptomCollege studentDepressive symptomMeta-analysisThe COVID-19 pandemic

Identifiers

PMID34134022
PMCPMC8595068

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.