Department of Pharmacy, Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
PLoS One. 2023 Dec 22;18(12):e0296309. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296309. eCollection 2023.
Since the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019, students have been under unparalleled psychological stress worldwide. As part of its prevention and control strategies, the Chinese Ministry of Education proposed online teaching activities for universities. For the first time, teaching and learning shifted completely online, significantly impacting university students used to classroom learning. This research addresses the knowledge gap about the mental health and coping strategies employed by Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic databases (PsycINFO, Scopus, Medline, Cochranes and CNKI) were searched systematically from 2019 to 2023, as part of this literature review. From the 349 articles found, 25 met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Thematic analysis was used to identify six sub-themes, organized under two main themes: Mental health issues of Chinese university students and their coping mechanisms. Heightened stress, anxiety, and depression appeared in Chinese university students during the pandemic, which may have been compounded by their isolation and the disruptions to their studies. Although the impact of COVID-19 on Chinese university students is waning, this study emphasizes the potential long-lasting impact on their mental health, which requires further investigation, particularly regarding gender differences. Moreover, positive and negative coping strategies were found in this review. Strategies for seeking social and family support and participating in sports activities had significant alleviating effects, while negative coping strategies such as alcohol-use and smoking did not. This rapid review informs the development of policies and interventions to enhance the mental health of university students during crisis events. The findings serve to inform health policymakers, university psychologists, and educators in improving the well-being of this student population.
自 2019 年 12 月冠状病毒（COVID-19）爆发以来，全世界的学生都承受着前所未有的心理压力。作为其防控策略的一部分，中国教育部提出了高校在线教学活动。教学和学习首次完全转移到线上，这对习惯于课堂学习的大学生产生了重大影响。本研究旨在探讨 COVID-19 大流行期间中国大学生心理健康状况和应对策略的知识空白。作为文献综述的一部分，我们系统地从 2019 年到 2023 年在电子数据库（PsycINFO、Scopus、Medline、Cochranes 和 CNKI）中进行了搜索。从发现的 349 篇文章中，有 25 篇符合分析的纳入标准。使用主题分析确定了六个子主题，分为两个主要主题：中国大学生的心理健康问题及其应对机制。在疫情期间，中国大学生的压力、焦虑和抑郁情绪加剧，这可能是由于他们的隔离和学业中断所致。尽管 COVID-19 对中国大学生的影响正在减弱，但本研究强调了其对心理健康的潜在长期影响，这需要进一步调查，特别是关注性别差异。此外，本研究还发现了积极和消极的应对策略。寻求社会和家庭支持以及参加体育活动的策略具有显著的缓解作用，而使用酒精和吸烟等消极应对策略则没有。这项快速综述为制定政策和干预措施提供了信息，以增强危机事件期间大学生的心理健康。研究结果为卫生政策制定者、大学心理学家和教育工作者提供了信息，以改善这一学生群体的福祉。
