Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38790426›Full record

ArticleBrain sciences2024

Comparison of Depressive Symptoms between International and Domestic Students in a Japanese University: Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic.

Yuki Shiratori, Takafumi Ogawa, Miho Ota, Noriko Sodeyama, Tetsuaki Arai, Hirokazu Tachikawa

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In one paragraph

Article in Brain sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Yuki ShiratoriDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Ibaraki, Japan.
Takafumi OgawaIbaraki Prefectural Medical Center of Psychiatry, 654 Asahi, Kasama 309-1717, Ibaraki, Japan.ORCID 0009-0009-9966-9196
Miho OtaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Ibaraki, Japan.
Noriko SodeyamaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Ibaraki, Japan.
Tetsuaki AraiDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Ibaraki, Japan.ORCID 0000-0003-4355-3900
Hirokazu TachikawaUniversity Health Center, University of Tsukuba Japan, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba 305-8577, Ibaraki, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-8809-3472

Funding

JSPS KAKENHI 20K13818
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic led to significant lifestyle changes and uncertainties, triggering a secondary wave of mental health issues in society. University students are especially susceptible to mental disorders. International students are considered more vulnerable due to limited emotional and financial support from their families and difficulties accessing community support. Hence, we conducted a longitudinal analysis to compare depressive symptoms among international students before and during the pandemic.

methodsData from depression screenings conducted at the University of Tsukuba in 2019 and 2020 were utilized. We included all students enrolled in 2019 who underwent health check-ups in both 2019 and 2020. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), enabling a comparison of item scores between domestic and international students. Psychopathological network analysis was employed to examine relationships among the items.

resultsPrior to the pandemic, international students generally exhibited relatively good mental health compared with domestic students. During the 2020 pandemic, no significant difference was observed, but international students tended to demonstrate better mental health. However, network analysis revealed intergroup variations in the relationships among PHQ-9 items, with concentration problems and suicidal thoughts being more prominent among international students.

conclusionThis study's findings suggest that young people studying abroad experience mental health crises similar to their domestic counterparts. Nevertheless, the patterns of these crises may differ between the two groups.

Indexed as

COVID-19depressioninternational studentsnetwork analysisuniversity students

Identifiers

PMID38790426
PMCPMC11118855

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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.