Aims: Chinese 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. Methods: Major 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. Results: In 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. Conclusions: Over 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.

The evaluation of childhood trauma is essential for the treatment of schizophrenia. The short form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) is a widely used measure of the experience of childhood trauma in the general population. Nevertheless, data regarding the psychometric property of CTQ-SF for assessing childhood trauma of patients with schizophrenia are very limited. Two hundred Chinese inpatients with schizophrenia completed the Chinese CTQ-SF, the Child Psychological Maltreatment Scale (CPMS), the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), and the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II). To assess test-retest reliability of the CTQ-SF, all patients completed the CTQ-SF again two weeks later. Concurrent and convergent validity was assessed by analyzing Pearson bivariate correlation coefficients between CTQ-SF and CPMS, IES-R, and DES-II. The Cronbach’s α coefficient of the Chinese CTQ-SF was 0.81, and the two-week re-test reliability was 0.81 (P<0.01). The criterion-related validity coefficients of CTQ-SF with the CMPS, IES-R and DES-II were 0.61, 0.41, and 0.51, respectively. The Chinese CTQ-SF has satisfactory psychometric properties to measure childhood abuse or neglect in Chinese inpatients with schizophrenia.

Background and Objective: School bullying is a prevalent public health problem that adversely impacts adolescents’ mental health. Defined as intentional, repeated, and harmful aggressive behaviors among peers, bullying leads to severe psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among victims. This narrative review aims to summarize the recent research progress on the conceptions, prevalence, and factors associated with school bullying and its impact on adolescent mental health. The ultimate goal is to inform the development of interventions for reducing or preventing mental health problems among adolescents from the perspective of school bullying. Methods: Both Chinese- and English-language studies that focused on school bullying and its association with mental health among adolescents were retrieved via online literature search within PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their inception to October 25, 2024. Findings from the included studies were qualitatively analyzed and summarized. Key Content and Findings: A significant percentage of adolescents worldwide experience school bullying. It is characterized by repetition, power imbalance, and intent to harm. Forms of bullying include verbal, physical, relational, sexual, and cyberbullying, with verbal bullying being the most frequently reported. Factors associated with school bullying include individual characteristics, family dynamics, school environment, and societal factors. The negative mental health impact of bullying in adolescents is profound, affecting not only victims but also bullies and bystanders, leading to short-term and long-term consequences such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidal behaviors. Conclusions: School bullying is a complex behavior with multifaceted causes and far-reaching mental health outcomes. While preventive measures have been implemented, the prevalence remains high, indicating a need for more effective interventions. The review underscores the importance of addressing school bullying from multiple angles, including individual, family, school, and societal levels, and calls for further research to examine newer and more effective interventions to mitigate the high risk of school bullying and its detrimental effects on adolescent mental health.

Background: Due to the implementation of social distancing and quarantine measures, loneliness has been a major public health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have examined loneliness in Chinese residents during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as its associations with mental health needs and services utilization. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional survey during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. A total of 7741 adults were invited and completed an online self-administered questionnaire. The Chinese 12-item General Health Questionnaire was used to screen for common mental health problems, loneliness was measured with a single-item self-report question (“How often do you feel lonely in recent days?”), and two standardized questions were used to assess perceived needs for and use of mental health services. Results: In total, 24.2 % of the participants felt lonely in recent days. Age of 16–29 years (OR = 1.36, P = 0.020), marital status of never-married (OR = 1.47, P < 0.001), marital status of “others” (re-married, co-habiting, separated, divorced, and widowed) (OR = 1.72, P < 0.001), having infected family members or close relatives (OR = 1.64, P = 0.026), and having infected colleagues, friends, or classmates (OR = 1.62, P < 0.001) were significant correlates of loneliness. Rates of mental health needs (17.4 % vs. 4.9 %, P < 0.001) and services utilization (2.7 % vs. 1.0 %, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in lonely than not lonely participants. After adjusting for socio-demographic and epidemic characteristics and common mental health problems, loneliness was still significantly associated with mental health needs (OR = 2.50, P < 0.001) and services utilization (OR = 1.62, P = 0.020). Conclusions: Feelings of loneliness are prevalent among Chinese residents affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and the presence of loneliness is associated with high levels of mental health needs and greater services utilization. Effective measures aiming at preventing or reducing loneliness are potentially beneficial for the mental wellbeing of COVID-19-affected population and reducing the use of the limited mental health service resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To examine the epidemiology of sense of alienation (SoA) and its associations with depressive symptoms and poor sleep quality (PSQ) in Chinese older adults who experienced lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: There is a dearth of data on SoA in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Altogether, 543 community-dwelling older adults (50+ years) were recruited via the three-tier mental health network in Wuhan, China, and completed an online questionnaire in April 2020, the first month after the reopening of Wuhan. SoA, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality were measured by using the General Social Alienation Scale, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, and a single standardized question, respectively. Results: The prevalence of SoA was 52.3% (95% confidence interval: 48.1–56.5%). Factors associated with higher levels of SoA were religious belief (β = 1.960, P = .024), monthly family income<4000 RMB (β = 1.405, P = .022), unemployment (β = 1.217, P = .039), fair or poor physical health (β = 2.202, P = .002), never and sometimes receiving community support (β = 2.297, P < .001 and β = 3.417, P < .001), perceiving a low possibility of a cure for COVID-19 (β = 2.379, P < .001), and affirmative and unsure fear of COVID-19 patients (β = 2.025, P = .007 and β = 1.101, P = .027). After adjusting for sociodemographic and pandemic-related variables, a one-SD increment in the SoA score was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (Odd Ratio [OR] = 5.59, P < .001) and poor sleep quality (Odd Ratio = 2.00, P < .001). Conclusion: Over half of the older adults who experienced lockdown felt alienated, and SoA was independently associated with their depressive symptoms and PSQ. Efforts are warranted to address SoA in older adults who experienced lockdown during the pandemic.