Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36341802›Full record

SynthesisJournal of affective disorders2023

The prevalence and risk factors of mental problems in medical students during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pu Peng, Yuzhu Hao, Yueheng Liu, Shubao Chen, Yunfei Wang, Qian Yang, Xin Wang, Manyun Li, Yingying Wang, Li He and 6 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of affective disorders, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 133 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
133citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
41.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

133 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 233 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. [Bidirectional longitudinal associations of perceived stress with anxiety and depressive symptoms among medical students: A threeZhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2026
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73 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Pu PengDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Yuzhu HaoDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Yueheng LiuDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Shubao ChenDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Yunfei WangDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Qian YangDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Xin WangDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Manyun LiDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Yingying WangDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Li HeDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Qianjin WangDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Yuejiao MaDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China.
Haoyu HeDepartment of Psychology, College of Education, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha 410205, China.
Yanan ZhouDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, Hunan Brain Hospital (Hunan Second People's Hospital), Changsha, China.
Qiuxia WuDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China. Electronic address: wuqiuxia@csu.edu.cn.
Tieqiao LiuDepartment of Psychiatry, and National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China. Electronic address: liutieqiao123@csu.edu.cn.
Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University · CNCentral South University · CNHunan First Normal University · CNHunan Institute of Mental Health · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to evaluate the global prevalence and risk factors of mental problems (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, sleep disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), burnout, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation) among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodWe searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, psycARTICLES, PsycINFO, CNKI, and Wan Fang for studies on the prevalence of mental problems among medical students from January 1, 2020, to April 1, 2022. The pooled prevalence was calculated by random-effect models. We performed a narrative review to identify the risk factors.

resultsThe meta-analysis included 201 studies (N = 198,000). The prevalence of depression (41 %, 95 % CI, 37-45 %,), anxiety (38 %,95 % CI, 34 %-42 %), stress (34 %, 95 % CI, 27 %-42 %), sleep disorder (52 %, 95 % CI, 44 %-60 %), psychological distress (58 %, 95 % CI, 51 %-65 %), PTSD (34 %, 95 % CI, 22 %-46 %), suicidal ideation (15 %, 95 % CI, 11 %-18 %) and burnout (38 %, 95 % CI, 25 %-50 %) was high. The major risk factors were being female, being junior or preclinical students, exposure to COVID-19, academic stress, psychiatric or physical disorders history, economic trouble, fear of education impairment, online learning trouble, fear of infection, loneliness, low physical activity, low social support, problematic internet or smartphone use, and young age. LIMITATIONS: Most studies were cross-sectional. Few studies provided a reasonable response rate, suggesting potential selection bias.

conclusionsThe study demonstrated a high prevalence and risk factors for mental problems during COVID-19, calling for mental health services. Our findings are valuable for college and health authorities to identify high-risk students and provide targeted intervention.

Indexed as

COVID-19Sleep Wake DisordersStudents, MedicalFemaleHumansMalePandemicsPrevalenceRisk FactorsCOVID-19Medical studentsMental healthMeta-analysis

Identifiers

PMID36341802
PMCPMC9613786
OpenAlexW4307454795

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.