Objective To investigate the psychological state of college students in the areas affected by the Wenchuan earthquake.
Methods A total of 562 college students were selected by stratified random cluster sampling. A self-designed questionnaire as well as Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used for survey.
Results The SDS scores (46.16±11.95) and SAS scores (34.60±6.50) of the college students were significantly higher than those of the national norms (P lt;0.001), while the SSRS scores (40.46±8.76) were lower than those of the national norms (P lt;0.001). The scores of SSRS and its three dimensions were positively correlated with the SAS scores and were negatively correlated with the SDS scores.
Conclusion The college students in the areas affected by the Wenchuan earthquake suffer from anxiety and depression disorders. Good social support is one of the important measures to maintain their mental health.
Citation: SHEN Wenwu,HU Zhijian,CHENG Yijuan,LI Jiping,SONG Jinping. A Study on the Psychological State of College Students in Affected Areas of Wenchuan Earthquake. Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine, 2008, 08(11): 935-947. doi: 10.7507/1672-2531.20080207 Copy