Families, Schools, and the Longitudinal Changes in Psychological Distress among College Students during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from a National Panel Survey in China

Fengxia Zhu, Yueyun Zhang (), Qi Li, Yuanyao Xu and Baozhong Liu
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Fengxia Zhu: Department of Sociology, School of Philosophy and Social Development, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Yueyun Zhang: Department of Sociology, School of Humanities, Social Sciences & Law, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
Qi Li: Department of Sociology, School of Philosophy and Social Development, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Yuanyao Xu: Department of Sociology, School of Philosophy and Social Development, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
Baozhong Liu: Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Science, Beijing 100732, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Background: The psychological well-being of students in higher education has become an increasingly important concern in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of prior studies were cross-sectional and thereby failed to capture the individual changes in mental health over time. Moreover, few studies have explored whether and how socioeconomic and education backgrounds could be related to college students’ mental health changes. This study aimed to fill these gaps. Methods: Data were from a nationwide, two-wave panel survey of college students in China. Baseline information was collected in November 2019, i.e., before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. A follow-up survey was conducted in November and December 2020, when the epidemic was effectively contained in mainland China. In both waves, mental health was assessed with the 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The between-wave changes in psychological distress were measured and categorized. Results: Overall, 13.5% of students experienced at least a one-standard-deviation increase in psychological distress over the one-year follow-up. Results from both bivariate and multivariable analysis showed that this marked distress increase was more pronounced among vocational college students (vs. academic undergraduate and postgraduate students) and those with lower levels of academic performance. In contrast, family socioeconomic status (as measured by parental education, family economic condition, and current residence) was not associated with distress changes over time. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of the educational disparities within the higher education system in understanding the mental health dynamics of college students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; psychological distress; socioeconomic status; education background; college students; longitudinal study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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