The proportion and associated factors of anxiety in Chinese adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

Background: Given the serious impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health of Chinese adolescents, this study aimed to examine the proportion of anxiety and its correlates among Chinese adolescents with depression during the pandemic.

Methods: This cross-sectional online survey was conducted from February 20th to February 27, 2020 in China. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed by the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), respectively.

Results: In this study, 3,498 adolescents with depression were identified. Of them, the proportion of anxiety was 45.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]=43.5%-46.8%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that being concerned about graduation (OR=1.25, P=0.002, 95% CI=1.09-1.43), sleep duration <6hr/day (OR=1.80, P<0.001, 95% CI=1.38-2.34), study duration >8hr/day (OR=1.21, P=0.02, 95% CI=1.03-1.42), and quantity of homework higher than before (OR=1.68, P<0.001, 95% CI=1.40-2.02) were positively associated with anxiety; the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at a provincial level of 100-999 (OR=0.70, P<0.001, 95% CI=0.59-0.83) and 1,000-9,999 (OR=0.69, P=0.001, 95% CI=0.55-0.87) were negatively related to anxiety in adolescents with depression.

Limitations: Because this was a cross-sectional online study, the causality between variables and anxiety could not be examined among depressed adolescents. The use of self-reported scales may lead to an underestimation of the proportion of anxiety among adolescents with depression.

Conclusions: The symptoms of anxiety were common in adolescents with depression during the COVID-19 outbreak. Timing screening and targeted interventions are necessary to mitigate the risks of mental illness of adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescent; Anxiety; COVID-19; Chinese; Depression.