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. 2021 Oct 27:6:734738.
doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2021.734738. eCollection 2021.

Delayed-Onset PTSD and Coping Strategies of Chinese College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Zhenxin Liao  1   2 , Xueyan Zhang  3 , Yingwen Wang  2 , Tingwei Wang  2 , Xinyu Li  3 , Mingyi Zhao  4 , Quan Zhuang  1
Affiliations

Delayed-Onset PTSD and Coping Strategies of Chinese College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Zhenxin Liao et al. Front Sociol. .

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic, and many Chinese college students both in China and abroad were house-quarantined. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and symptoms of delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and coping strategies among Chinese overseas and domestic college students during this pandemic. A questionnaire was opportunistically distributed to Chinese college students studying both domestically and abroad six months after the COVID-19 outbreak. The questionnaire consisted of IES-R, SCSQ, and SSRS. The average score of delayed-onset PTSD in our population was 21.411 (full mark, 88 points), which reflected a total high level of delayed-onset PTSD symptoms. Statistical differences were shown between students who have been back to universities during the pandemic or not in the hyperarousal dimension (p = 0.016). Three coping strategies were recognized to influence the respondent's delayed-onset PTSD symptoms, and there was a significant correlation between social support and the coping strategies students chose. A moderate to high level of delayed-onset PTSD was observed among both Chinese overseas and domestic college students 6 months after the COVID-19 outbreak. The useful coping strategies and powerful social supports are significantly important to help them stay mentally healthy and alleviate delayed-onset PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; college students; coping strategies; delayed-onset PTSD; psychological health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Stressful factors of the national and international students (n = 319).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Special stressful factors of the international students (n = 45).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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