Predictors of COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms in high school students in China

Abstract

Youth may be particularly vulnerable to negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic due to acute and chronic stressors (e.g., social distancing) during a critical period of development. The present study examined factors associated with COVID-19-related posttraumatic stress and anxiety in high school students in China (N = 294) during May 2020. Logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regression were used to evaluate the effects of self-reported prior mental health concerns, duration of isolation/quarantine measures, impact from the pandemic, behaviors changed during COVID-19, and attitudes surrounding the pandemic on self-reported anxiety and pandemic-related posttraumatic stress. Self-reported history of mental health concerns significantly predicted anxiety and pandemic-related posttraumatic stress. While timing likely contributed to lower rates of clinically significant outcomes than have been reported in other studies, some students exhibited signs of enduring distress. History of mental illness may be a sign of negative psychological outcomes in adolescents and should prompt further screening.