An investigation of anxiety and depression among Chinese primary school students after the resumption of school post-COVID-19

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and 9 Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to investigate the anxiety and depression of 1366 primary school students in Shenzhen after the resumption of school. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents began wondering whether months of isolation, a lack of organized school education, and potential loss of relatives would have a long-term impact on their children’s mental health. The results of this study indicate that the rates of anxiety and depression among primary school students are indeed higher than before COVID-19, including the detection rate of anxiety and depression comorbidity, which has reached 11.7%. As age and grade increase, so do the scores of anxiety and depression among primary school students, with those of boys being higher than those of girls. In addition to age, grade, and gender, anxiety and depression scores were found to also be affected by other factors, such as the daily time spent using mobile phones for entertainment and exercising. Besides, these increases were found to be related to feelings of fear and nervousness towards aspects of the pandemic and worries about getting sick. Altogether, these results indicate that the mental state and health of primary school students following the pandemic is worth paying attention to, and that psychological intervention should be carried out in time. Overall, the results of this study may serve as a helpful guide as to how primary schools should carry out courses and activities to promote students’ mental health after the pandemic situation stabilizes. Moreover, they may provide a reference for further study on the influence of pandemic situations on the anxiety and depression of primary school students.