Prevalence of depression among Chinese university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Gao L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7522998 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Prevalence of depression among Chinese university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Gao Li L Xie Yuanchen Y Jia Chunhua C Wang Wei W
Scientific reports 20200928 1
Estimates of the depression prevalence among Chinese university students vary considerably across studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively analyze the depression prevalence among Chinese university students. We searched four electronic databases with the search terms of depression, China, university student, and questionnaire. Studies reporting depression among Chinese university students were included in the analysis. Two reviewers independently extracted the d ...[more]
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Project description:BackgroundDepression is a major mental health issue worldwide, and university students with heavy burdens of study are at a high risk for depression. While a number of studies have been conducted regarding depression among university students in China, there is a lack of information regarding the national prevalence of depression among Chinese university students. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to statistically pool the prevalence of depression among Chinese university students.MethodsA systematic search of scientific databases was conducted, including Chinese Web of Knowledge, Embase, PubMed, Wanfang (a Chinese database) and Weipu (a Chinese database) to find relevant publications published between 1995 and December 2015. This was supplemented by a secondary review of the reference lists of all retrieved papers to find additional relevant citations. Studies published in either English or Chinese that provided prevalence estimates of depression in Chinese university students were considered. Prevalence estimates of each eligible study were extracted and pooled in our meta-analysis using a random-effects model.ResultsA total of 39 studies conducted between 1997 and 2015 including 32,694 university students were analyzed. Our results indicate that the overall prevalence of depression among Chinese university students is 23.8% (95% CI: 19.9%-28.5%). Substantial heterogeneity in prevalence estimates was noted. Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence of depression among medical students is higher than among other students.ConclusionsOverall, the prevalence of depression among Chinese university students is exceedingly high. This suggests that it is imperative that more attention be given to the development of appropriate mental healthcare strategies for university students in China.
| S-EPMC4829172 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of depression in Chinese university students, and to identify the socio-demographic factors associated with depression in this population. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select university students (N = 5245) in Harbin (Heilongjiang Province, Northeastern China), who were aged 16-35 years. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to determine depressive symptoms of the participants. BDI scores of 14 or higher were categorized as depressive for logistic regression analysis. Depression was diagnosed by the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). 11.7% of the participants had a BDI score 14 or higher. Major Depressive Disorder was seen in 4.0% of Chinese university students. There were no statistical differences in the incidence of depression when gender, ethnicity, and university classification were analyzed. Multivariate analysis showed that age, study year, satisfaction with major, family income situation, parental relationship and mother's education were significantly associated with depression. Moderate depression is prevalent in Chinese university students. The students who were older, dissatisfied with their major, had a lower family income, poor parental relationships, and a lower level of mother's education were susceptible to depression.
| S-EPMC3596366 | biostudies-other
Project description:AimsChinese university students are at high risk for depressive symptoms and the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have exacerbated the mental health of university students. However, existing studies on depressive symptoms in Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic reported a wide range of prevalence estimates, making mental health planning for this population difficult. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of surveys that assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Chinese university students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsMajor Chinese (CNKI, Wanfang, VIP) and English (PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo) databases and preprint platforms were searched to identify cross-sectional studies containing data on the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Chinese university students during the pandemic. Two authors independently retrieved the literature, evaluated the eligibility of potential studies, assessed the risk of bias (RoB) of included studies, and extracted data. RoB was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data.ResultsIn total, 1177 records were retrieved, and 84 studies involving 1 292 811 Chinese university students during the pandemic were included. None of the included studies were rated as completely low RoB. Statistically significant heterogeneity in the prevalence estimates of included studies was detected (I2 = 99.9%, p < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms was 26.0% (95%CI: 23.3-28.9%), which was significantly higher in female than in male students (30.8% v. 28.6%, p < 0.001), in postgraduates than in undergraduates (29.3% v. 22.9%, p < 0.001), in students living inside than in those living outside the COVID-19 epicentre (27.5% v. 22.3%, P < 0.001), in students from universities at the epicentre than in those from universities outside the epicentre (26.2% v. 23.1%, p < 0.001), in students who had close contact with COVID-19 than in those who did not (46.0% v. 25.0%, p < 0.001), and in students who had acquaintances or relatives infected with COVID-19 (39.7% v. 24.0%, p < 0.001) than in those who did not. Five sources of heterogeneity were identified from the subgroup analysis: survey period, % of males among the survey sample, scale of depressive symptoms, cutoff score of the scale and level of RoB.ConclusionsOver one-fourth of Chinese university students experienced depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health services for this population should include periodic evaluation of depressive symptoms, expanded social support and psychiatric assessment and treatment when necessary. It is also necessary to design depression prevention programmes that target higher-risk cohorts of university students.
| S-EPMC8047400 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: In Pakistan, almost 30% population is between 15 to 29 years of age, with university enrollment rates of 10-15%. Although there is a growing concern on mental health of university students across the globe, studies from low and middle income countries such as Pakistan are scarce. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence of depressive symptoms among Pakistani university students. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Google Scholar were searched between 15 to 30th January 2020. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, published till 31st December 2019 were included. Data on study characteristics and prevalence of depressive symptoms were extracted. Meta-analysis was conducted using random effects models. To estimate subgroup difference based on study characteristics, meta-regression and sub-group analyses were conducted. Results: In total, 26 studies involving 7,652 participants were included in review. Overall prevalence of depressive symptoms was 42.66% (95% CI: 34.82% to 50.89%), with significant heterogeneity among studies. Subgroup analyses revealed a significant difference in prevalence estimates based on depression screening instrument and study major. Statistically significant differences were observed among studies employing different psychometric scales (test for subgroup differences, Q = 21.92, p < 0.05) and between students from different study majors (test for subgroup differences, Q = 3.76, p = 0.05). Conclusion: Our study found that overall prevalence of depressive symptoms among university students in Pakistan was 42.66%, however, findings should be interpreted with caution. Large scale epidemiological surveys using valid and reliable tools are needed to better estimate prevalence of depression among Pakistani university students.
| S-EPMC7820542 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundKhat chewing has become a common practice among university students in developing countries like Ethiopia. It has a potential effect on physical, mental, social and cognitive aspects of student functioning. In Ethiopia, study findings regarding the prevalence of khat chewing were highly dispersed and inconsistent. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis estimates the pooled prevalence of khat chewing and its predictors among Ethiopian university students.MethodA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence and predictors of khat chewing among university students in Ethiopia. We searched literature from the databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and the Cochrane Library. A total of 24 Ethiopian studies reporting the prevalence of khat chewing among university students were included. Data were extracted using a standardized data extraction format prepared in Microsoft Excel and the analysis was done using STATA 14 statistical software. To assess heterogeneity, the Cochrane Q test statistics and I2 test were used. Since the included studies exhibit high heterogeneity, a random effect meta-analysis model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence of khat chewing. Moreover, the association between predictor variables, and khat chewing practice were examined.ResultsThe meta-analysis of 24 studies revealed that the pooled prevalence of khat chewing among university students in Ethiopia was 23.22% (95% CI: 19.5, 27.0). In the subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence was observed in Oromia region (31.6%; 95CI: 21.2, 41.9) whereas the lowest prevalence was observed in Amhara region (18.1%; 95%CI: 12.4, 23.8). Being male OR: 2.76 (95% CI 1.64, 4.63), family khat chewing practice OR: 2.91 (95% CI 1.06, 7.98), friend khat chewing habit OR: 4.74 (95% CI 3.48, 13.06), alcohol drinking OR: 7.06 (95% CI 5.65, 8.82) and cigarette smoking habit OR: 15.11 (95% CI 8.96, 25.51) were found to be predictors of khat chewing.ConclusionThe study found that the prevalence of khat chewing among university students was quite common, with slightly more than 1 in 5 students engaging in the use of this substance. Being male, family khat chewing practice, friend's khat chewing habit, alcohol drinking, and cigarette smoking were found to be predictors of khat chewing practice among university students.
| S-EPMC5896981 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSelf-medication of medicines is a global issue particularly among those with good access and familiarity with medications such as university students. It has a significant impact on drug resistance and medication-related complications. There are limited and inconsistent studies on self-medication practices in Ethiopia. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication and its predictors among university students in Ethiopia.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence and predictors of self-medication among university students in Ethiopia. Published articles from various electronic databases such as Medline, Hinari, Pub Med, Cochrane library, and the Web of Science were accessed. In addition, a manual search was performed including Google Scholar. Searching of articles were searched from January 1st to February 1, 2021. All observational studies conducted among university students in English language were included in the review. Two reviewers independently assessed articles before inclusion in the final review using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI) instrument for critical appraisal. The I2 test was used to assess heterogeneity. Since the included studies exhibited high heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of self-medication.ResultsWe found of 812 published and unpublished studies in our search. Finally, 31 full-text studies were reviewed, and 13 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the final meta-analysis. A total of 5377 study respondents from 13 studies were included in the study. The results of our study revealed that the pooled prevalence of self-medication among university students was 49.41% (95% CI 38.67%, 60.13%). The included studies had a sample size ranging from 250 to 792 with the lowest prevalence (19.87%) of self-medication from the University of Gondar, whereas the highest prevalence (77.01%) was recorded in a study conducted at Arsi University. From the pooled estimation, there was a significant association between self-medication and income (OR = 0.67: 95% CI 0.55-0.80). However, the association between self-medication and year of study and sex of participants was insignificant.ConclusionThe pooled prevalence of self-medication among Ethiopian university students was relatively high compared to the current global health problem with an increase in anti-microbial resistance. Health professionals and concerned bodies should pay attention to raising awareness regarding the consequences of using medications without prescription.
| S-EPMC8679998 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of childhood maltreatment among college students in China by a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA systematic search of relevant articles in Pubmed, Wanfang Data, Chinese Scientific Journals Fulltext Database (CQVIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) was conducted on September 1, 2017. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence and sources of heterogeneity were explored using subgroup analyses.ResultsIn total, 32 studies were included in our review. The pooled prevalence of childhood maltreatment among college students was 64.7% (CI: 52.3%-75.6%). For childhood physical abuse(CPA), childhood emotional abuse(CEA), childhood sexual abuse(CSA), childhood physical neglect(CPN)and childhood emotional neglect (CEN), the pooled estimates were 17.4% (13.8%-21.3%), 36.7%(25.1%-49.1%), 15.7%(11.6%-20.2%), 54.9%(41.2%-68.1%) and 60.0% (45.0%-74.0%), respectively. Use of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) yielded a higher pooled estimate than any other measurement tools in the subgroup analyses of CPA, CEA, CSA, CPN and CEN. The Egger's tests revealed no evidence of publication bias(P>0.05).ConclusionsChildhood maltreatment is common among college students in China. Prevention policies and programmes should be urgently developed to stop the occurrence of child maltreatment, and special attention should be paid to maltreated college students.
| S-EPMC6188789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundBurnout is common among university students and may adversely affect academic performance. Little is known about the true burden of this preventable malady among university students in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs).ObjectivesThis study aimed to systematically estimate the prevalence of burnout among university students in LMICs.MethodsWe searched PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, Web of Science, African Journals Online, and Embase from the inception of each database until February 2021. Original studies were included. No study design or language restrictions were applied. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed using STATA version 16.0. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using Q-statistics and funnel plots, respectively.ResultsFifty-five unique articles, including a total of 27,940 (Female: 16,215, 58.0%) university students from 24 LMICs were included. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used in 43 studies (78.2%). The pooled prevalence of burnout was 12.1% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 11.9-12.3; I2 = 99.7%, Q = 21,464.1, p = < 0.001). The pooled prevalence of emotional exhaustion (feelings of energy depletion), cynicism (negativism), and reduced professional efficacy were, 27.8% (95% CI 27.4-28.3; I2 = 98.17%. p = <0.001), 32.6 (95% CI: 32.0-33.1; I2: 99.5%; p = < 0.001), and 29.9% (95% CI: 28.8-30.9; I2: 98.1%; p = < 0.001), respectively.ConclusionNearly one-third of university students in LMICs experience burnout. More studies are needed to understand the causes of burnout in this key population. There is a need to validate freely available tools for use in these countries.
| S-EPMC8405021 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Importance:Medical students are at high risk for depression and suicidal ideation. However, the prevalence estimates of these disorders vary between studies. Objective:To estimate the prevalence of depression, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in medical students. Data Sources and Study Selection:Systematic search of EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, psycARTICLES, and psycINFO without language restriction for studies on the prevalence of depression, depressive symptoms, or suicidal ideation in medical students published before September 17, 2016. Studies that were published in the peer-reviewed literature and used validated assessment methods were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis:Information on study characteristics; prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation; and whether students who screened positive for depression sought treatment was extracted independently by 3 investigators. Estimates were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Differences by study-level characteristics were estimated using stratified meta-analysis and meta-regression. Main Outcomes and Measures:Point or period prevalence of depression, depressive symptoms, or suicidal ideation as assessed by validated questionnaire or structured interview. Results:Depression or depressive symptom prevalence data were extracted from 167 cross-sectional studies (n?=?116?628) and 16 longitudinal studies (n?=?5728) from 43 countries. All but 1 study used self-report instruments. The overall pooled crude prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms was 27.2% (37?933/122?356 individuals; 95% CI, 24.7% to 29.9%, I2?=?98.9%). Summary prevalence estimates ranged across assessment modalities from 9.3% to 55.9%. Depressive symptom prevalence remained relatively constant over the period studied (baseline survey year range of 1982-2015; slope, 0.2% increase per year [95% CI, -0.2% to 0.7%]). In the 9 longitudinal studies that assessed depressive symptoms before and during medical school (n?=?2432), the median absolute increase in symptoms was 13.5% (range, 0.6% to 35.3%). Prevalence estimates did not significantly differ between studies of only preclinical students and studies of only clinical students (23.7% [95% CI, 19.5% to 28.5%] vs 22.4% [95% CI, 17.6% to 28.2%]; P?=?.72). The percentage of medical students screening positive for depression who sought psychiatric treatment was 15.7% (110/954 individuals; 95% CI, 10.2% to 23.4%, I2?=?70.1%). Suicidal ideation prevalence data were extracted from 24 cross-sectional studies (n?=?21?002) from 15 countries. All but 1 study used self-report instruments. The overall pooled crude prevalence of suicidal ideation was 11.1% (2043/21?002 individuals; 95% CI, 9.0% to 13.7%, I2?=?95.8%). Summary prevalence estimates ranged across assessment modalities from 7.4% to 24.2%. Conclusions and Relevance:In this systematic review, the summary estimate of the prevalence of depression or depressive symptoms among medical students was 27.2% and that of suicidal ideation was 11.1%. Further research is needed to identify strategies for preventing and treating these disorders in this population.
| S-EPMC5613659 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesMental health disorders are highly prevalent among university students. Universities could be an optimal setting to provide evidence-based care through the Internet. As part of the World Mental Health International College Student initiative, this systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes data on the efficacy of Internet-based interventions for university students' mental health.MethodA systematic literature search of bibliographical databases (CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) for randomized trials examining psychological interventions for the mental health (depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, and eating disorder symptoms), well-being, and functioning of university students was performed through April 30, 2018.ResultsForty-eight studies were included. Twenty-three studies (48%) were rated to have low risk of bias. Small intervention effects were found on depression (g = 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.08, 0.27]), anxiety (g = 0.27, 95% CI [0.13, 0.40]), and stress (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.02, 0.38]). Moderate effects were found on eating disorder symptoms (g = 0.52, 95% CI [0.22-0.83]) and role functioning (g = 0.41, 95% CI [0.26, 0.56]). Effects on well-being were non-significant (g = 0.15, 95% CI [-0.20, 0.50]). Heterogeneity was moderate to substantial in many analyses. After adjusting for publication bias, effects on anxiety were not significant anymore.DiscussionInternet interventions for university students' mental health can have significant small-to-moderate effects on a range of conditions. However, more research is needed to determine student subsets for which Internet-based interventions are most effective and to explore ways to increase treatment effectiveness.
| S-EPMC6877279 | biostudies-literature