1. Introduction
Since 11 March 2020, when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic [1], university closures to fight against COVID-19 have affected nearly 190 countries, and all continents worldwide [2]. This prompted a rapid transition to e-learning, for which neither teachers or students were generally prepared [3,4,5]. After re-opening, educational centres had to implement social distancing measures [6,7] and deal with ever-changing protocols to prevent the spread of the virus [8].
The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the achievement of a more just and equitable society set 17 goals, with universities being key contributors to achieving those Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [9]. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the health and well-being of people worldwide, not only physically, but also in terms of mental health [10,11], particularly among young people [12,13]. Mental health problems may have prevented students from fully engaging with their education, reducing the quality of their experience, which was already impacted by the transition to e-learning and access issues [14]. This included university students, whose emotional state may have been influenced by teaching methods [15].
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly occurs after experiencing or witnessing stressful or distressing events [16]. The most prominent symptoms are reliving memories related to the traumatic situation, hypervigilance, impaired cognition, negative mood, and avoidance of situations and places reminiscent of the trauma [16].
Several studies have shown that pandemics, natural disasters, and other loss-of-life events are associated with increased PTSD among students [17,18,19,20]. Research among university students suggests that vicarious traumatization [21] via media coverage of COVID-19 [22,23] may have caused some cases of PTSD. In fact, a systematic review of general population studies found that there was more PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic among young people than among the older population [20]. It is important that attention be paid to post-traumatic stress symptoms, as the syndrome can lead to a lower quality of life and a higher risk of self-harm and suicide [24]. This may be particularly important in university-aged young adults, a group among the general population that especially showed increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation during the pandemic [25,26].
While meta-analyses of the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic have been conducted [27], to the best of our knowledge, there has been no meta-analysis on post-traumatic stress during COVID-19 in university students, and this study is, therefore, original work. The present study is a systematic review and meta-analysis on PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic in university students. We specifically investigate whether gender, age, and country of residence influence post-traumatic stress prevalence among university students during COVID-19. Our research question follows the FINER (Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant) framework [28]. This study will contribute to a global perspective on the post-traumatic stress that university students are experiencing, in order to further address SDGs 3 and 4 of the 2030 Agenda.
2. Materials and Methods
This study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses [29] (Supplementary Table S1).
2.1. Search Strategy
In accordance with the Campbell Collaboration [30], two researchers (JS and BV) searched for all cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of PTSD published from 1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021, using MEDLINE via PubMed. The search terms were:
(covid [tiab] OR covid-19 [tiab] OR coronavirus [tiab] OR SARSCoV-2 [tiab] OR “Coronavirus” [Mesh] OR “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” [Supplementary Concept] OR “COVID-19” [Supplementary Concept] OR “Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology” [Mesh] OR “Coronavirus Infections/prevention and control” [Mesh] OR “Coronavirus Infections/psychology” [Mesh]) AND (“Post-traumatic stress” [Mesh] OR “Posttraumatic stress” [Mesh] OR PTSD [Mesh])
No language restrictions were implemented. References from selected articles were inspected to detect additional potential studies. Any disagreement was resolved by consensus among a third and fourth researcher (NO-E and NI), in accordance with Harrer et al. [31].
Selection Criteria
Studies were included if they: (1) reported cross-sectional data on the prevalence of PTSD, or sufficient information to compute this, conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) focused on university students; (3) used a validated instrument to assess PTSD; and if (4) the full text was available.
We excluded studies focusing only on community-based samples of the general population, or specific samples that did not include university students (e.g., teachers, medical professionals, patients), as well as review articles.
A pre-designed data extraction form was used to extract the following information: country, sample size, proportion of women, average age, response rate and sampling methods, and also the instruments used to assess PTSD, and PTSD prevalence rates.
2.2. Methodological Quality Assessment
Articles identified for retrieval were assessed by two independent reviewers (IL and JS) for methodological validity before being included in the review, using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) standardized critical appraisal instrument for prevalence studies [32]. Quality was evaluated according to nine criteria, each yielding a score of zero or one. One score was obtained for each criterion if the study was affirmative: 1: Was the sample frame appropriate to address the target population? 2: Were study participants recruited in an appropriate way? 3: Was the sample size adequate? 4: Were the study subjects and setting described in detail? 5: Was data analysis conducted with sufficient coverage of the identified sample? 6: Were valid methods used for the identification of the condition? 7: Was the condition measured in a standard, reliable way for all participants? 8: Was there appropriate statistical analysis? 9: Was the response rate adequate, and if not, was the low response rate managed appropriately?
Any disagreements between the reviewers were resolved through discussion, or by further discussion with the third and fourth researchers (NO-E and NI).
2.3. Statistical Analysis
A generic inverse variance method with a random-effects model was used [33], with double arcsine transformation of proportion to account for the variability and heterogeneity of prevalence rates among the included studies [34]. We used Knapp–Hartung adjustments [35] to calculate the confidence interval for the pooled prevalence. Several studies [36] have shown that this adjustment can reduce the chance of false positives, especially when the number of studies is small. The main outcomes are presented in proportion format with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (95%CI) and 95% prediction interval (95%PrI), along with statistical heterogeneity results. The Hedges Q statistic is reported to check heterogeneity across studies, with statistical significance set at p-value < 0.10. The I2 statistic and 95%CI were also used to quantify heterogeneity [37]. Values between 25 and 50% are considered as low, 50 and 75% as moderate, and 75% or more as high [38]. Heterogeneity of effects between studies occurs when differences in results for the same exposure–disease association cannot be fully explained by sampling variation. Sources of heterogeneity can include differences in study design or in demographic characteristics. We performed meta-regression and subgroup analyses [39] to explore the sources of heterogeneity expected in meta-analyses of observational studies [40]. We conducted a sensitivity analysis to determine the influence of each individual study on the overall result by omitting studies one by one.
In a meta-analysis of proportion studies, like the current study, a Doi plot and the Luis Furuya–Kanamori (LFK) index are a better approach for graphically representing publication bias than visual inspection of a funnel plot [41] or Egger’s test [42]—where a symmetrical triangle implies the absence of publication bias, while an asymmetrical triangle indicates possible publication bias [43]. The Doi plot and LFK index have higher sensitivity and power to detect publication bias than the funnel plot and Egger’s regression [44]. The LFK index provides a quantitative measure to assess the degree of asymmetry—scores within ±1 indicate ‘no asymmetry’; exceeding ±1 but within ±2 indicate ‘minor asymmetry’; and exceeding ±2 indicate ‘major asymmetry’. Additionally, the fail-safe N value was used as an indicator of publication bias [45]. This statistic is recommended when there are less than 10 studies in the meta-analysis [46,47], and it indicates the number of non-significant, unpublished (or missing) studies that would need to be added to reduce an overall statistically significant result to non-significance.
Statistical analyses were conducted by the author JS and run with R statistical software [48].
3. Results
3.1. Selection of Studies
Figure 1 shows a flowchart of the search strategy and study selection process. A total of 469 records were initially identified, with 450 excluded after a first screening of the titles and abstracts. After reading the remaining 19 articles in full, we finally included six in our meta-analysis [19,49,50,51,52,53]. Exclusion reasons are detailed in Figure 1.
3.2. Characteristics and Methodological Quality of the Included Studies
The characteristics of the six studies included in the meta-analysis are shown in Table 1 and Table 2. Table 1 gives a descriptive overview of the overall characteristics, while Table 2 shows the PTSD scale used and the prevalence of PTSD found in each study. Of the studies analysed, three were conducted in China, two in the USA, and one in France. The sample size ranged from 261 [52] to 22,883 participants [53], and the mean age ranged from 19.8 [19] to 20.9 years [53]. While one study [51] had only women participants, the other studies comprised 63.1% women, on average. The response rate was between 29.5% [50] and 89.7% [52]. All studies used standardized and validated scales, and were conducted by using online questionnaires. Of those reporting their sampling methods, one was stratified sampling [51], one snowball [52], and the rest convenience sampling [19,49,50,53].
Regarding the quality of the studies, the scores ranged from 4 to 5 (Table 3). The main limitation present in all studies was that the absence of PTSD measured by unbiased raters could not be guaranteed, due to using online surveys. In all the studies, the confidence intervals for prevalence were provided, and the study subjects and setting were described.
3.3. PTSD Prevalence
The reported prevalence of PTSD data in university students ranged from 3% [19] to 38% [52] (Table 1). Our estimated overall prevalence of PTSD was 23% (95% CI: 13–35%), with significant heterogeneity between studies (Q test: p-value < 0.01; I2 = 99.6%) (Figure 2). The prediction interval showed that the proportion of PTSD in future similar studies would range between 0% and 70% (Figure 2).
Our subgroup analyses to identify sources of heterogeneity found a higher prevalence of PTSD in studies from the USA (31% [95% CI: 5–67%]) compared to those in China (19% [95% CI: 2–47%]) or France (19% [95% CI: 0–69%]); however, this difference did not reach statistical significance. We also observed lower prevalence of PTSD for studies based on convenience samples (17% [95% CI: 7–31%]), compared with other sampling methods (35% [95% CI: 16-59%]. Our meta-regression showed that the prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher with older mean age at baseline (b = 0.35, p-value = 0.032), and independent of percentage of women (p-value = 0.493) or methodological quality (p-value = 0.735). Insufficient data meant that no subgroup or meta-regression analyses for PTSD scale type and response rate, respectively, were performed.
Excluding studies one by one from the analysis did not substantially change the pooled prevalence of PTSD, which varied between 20% (95% CI: 10–33%), with Song et al. [52] excluded, and 29% (95% CI: 21–38%), with Tang et al. [19] excluded (Figure 3). This indicates that no single study had a disproportional impact on the overall PTSD prevalence.
Figure 4 depicts the Doi plot and a Luis Furuya–Kanamori (LFK) index of 3.06, indicating ‘major asymmetry’ and the likely presence of publication bias. However, an absence of publication bias was indicated by a fail-safe N of 8376, indicating that 8376 studies with null results would be needed to reduce the observed overall prevalence to non-significance.
4. Discussion
The present study provides an up-to-date meta-analysis of studies reporting the prevalence of PTSD in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a total of six studies, an estimated overall prevalence of PTSD of 23% was found in this population, with clear effects on well-being and health (SDG3) and likely implications for their education (SDG4).
Some previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported on the prevalence of PTSD in the general population, or a mix of the general population and other groups, during COVID-19. The prevalence of PTSD varies across these studies: 15% [54]; 21.9% [55]; 28.3% [56]; as well as a prevalence of 18% for PTSD symptomatology [57].
Previous research has also analysed PTSD in different professional or socio-demographic groups. Studies focusing on healthcare workers have found prevalences of 18% [57], 21.5% [58], 26.9% [59], and 29.2% [56]. Studies focusing on people who have been infected with COVID-19, especially during the first waves of the epidemic, have found prevalences of 23.8% [59], 29% [57], and 36.3% [56], as well as 24.5% for people with suspected cases of COVID-19 [56]. Qui et al. [56] also found a prevalence of 29.39% among a cohort comprising both students and teachers, and without consideration of factors such as educational sector and age. With greater precision, Idoiaga et al. [60] found a prevalence of 10% in teachers and Ozamiz et al. [61] found a prevalence of 14% in schoolchildren. Our finding of a prevalence of 23% among university students is, thus, the closest to the higher prevalence of healthcare workers, or those infected with COVID-19.
We found no significant differences in the prevalence of PTSD between men and women. Our results are, thus, not consistent with other findings in the general population and in other adult cohorts, which indicate that women are at increased risk for PTSD [22,62,63,64,65,66,67], including during the COVID-19 pandemic [20]. Some studies suggest that women are at a higher risk of PTSD than men because of gender inequality and discrimination [68,69,70], genetic predisposition and hormonal influences, and individual gender roles [71]. However, similarly to our findings, numerous meta-analyses on various mental health problems among university students during the pandemic have found no gender differences [70,72,73,74,75,76]. This may be because there are fewer differences in family and caregiving burdens between male and female university students than between men and women in either the general population or other cohorts [77,78].
Our analyses of country differences found a higher prevalence of PTSD in the USA than in China or France, though this was not statistically significant. Of the USA-based studies, one focused on international students, and thus away from home [52], while the other focused on medical students [50]. Other research has shown that international and medical students were both more likely to have mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic [70,73,75,76]. Finally, we also found that the prevalence of PTSD increased with age, consistent with a previously reported correlation between age and the prevalence of mental health problems among university students during COVID-19 [79,80].
Therefore, this research makes a novel contribution to both existing literature on the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health, and to the literature on PTSD. Firstly, as previously stated, we have found that the levels of PTSD among university students are some of the highest found within the groups analysed [56,59,81]. They are also close to the levels of other symptomatologies, such as stress, depression or anxiety [4,27,72,82]. Therefore, this research confirms that we are facing a very important mental health problem among young people.
On the other hand, with respect to the literature on PTSD, this study has found levels of PTSD much higher (almost seven points) than those previously found among young people seeking or receiving mental health treatment [83]. This marks a clear trend in how this symptomatology has expanded among this group, a risk that had already been noted before the pandemic [84]. It also reaffirms that the pandemic has been a universal cause of the spread of PTSD, and joins other causes that have previously been analysed, such as war, abuse, violence, etc. [85,86,87].
Strengths and Limitations
To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis focusing on PTSD during COVID-19 among university students. While the number of studies included was small, there is evidence that meta-analyses of a few papers can establish valid conclusions [88]. Other potential limitations of our findings are that all studies used online surveys to assess PTSD, and most used convenience samples, rather than more representative sampling methodologies. It was also the case that the quality of the included sample was moderate-to-low, possibly a consequence of the difficulties in conducting such research under COVID-19 conditions. Finally, another limitation of the study was that we only used PubMed, which decreases sensitivity; however, according to Falangas et al. [89], Medline covers a good part of the potentially eligible studies.
5. Conclusions
This study shows that the mental health of university students has clearly been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, with around one in four having experienced PTSD.
Having a quarter of university students experiencing PTSD should not go unnoticed by university communities, who should promote interventions that improve the well-being of these students [90]. This is addressed by the 2030 Agenda, which states that quality education (SDG4) must be achieved among university students, and for which it is essential that they enjoy physical and mental health and wellbeing (SDG3). Taking care of university students’ mental health can also prevent psychological problems developing in later adulthood and during professional life [4].
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a working agenda for the international community to ensure a better world for future generations, with academics being an important focus [91]. It is, therefore, important to work on these SDGs, as they are important for the university students [92].
Therefore, the implications of the present study are to provide tools and services to care for the mental health of university students, making an important economic contribution to mental health. In this way, they will also improve their academic performance.
This research is necessary because it is important to visualize the mental state of university students in the period of COVID-19, in order to further improve it and invest in it.
Conceptualization, J.S., N.I., D.M.L. and N.O.-E.; methodology, J.S., B.V., N.I., I.L. and N.O.-E.; writing—original draft preparation, J.S, N.I. and N.O.-E. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Figure 2. Forest plot for the prevalence of PTSD among university students [19,49,50,51,52,53].
Figure 3. Sensitivity forest plot for the prevalence of PTSD among university students [19,49,50,51,52,53].
Characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.
First Author (Publication Year) | Sample Country | Sample Size (n) | Mean Age (SD) | Females (%) | Response Rate (%) | Sampling Method | Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chi et al. (2021) [ |
China | 1164 | 20.6 (1.9) | 64.8% | NR | Convenience | 4 |
Lee et al. (2021) [ |
U.S.A | 741 | NR | 63.9% | 29.5% | Convenience | 4 |
Si et al. (2021) [ |
China | 2205 | 20.8 (1.5) | 100% | NR | Stratified | 5 |
Song et al. (2021) [ |
U.S.A | 261 | NR | 53.3% | 89.7% | Snowball | 4 |
Tang et al. (2020) [ |
China | 2485 | 19.8 (1.5) | 60.8% | 69.3% | Convenience | 4 |
Wathelet et al. (2021) [ |
France | 22,883 | 20.9 (4.1) | 72.7% | NR | Convenience | 5 |
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; NR, not reported.
Outcome assessments of the included studies.
First Author (Publication Year) | PTSD Assessment | ||
---|---|---|---|
Scale | Criteria | No. Cases (Prevalence, %) | |
Chi et al. (2021) [ |
PCL-C | ≥14 | 358 (30.8%) |
Lee et al. (2021) [ |
PC-PTSD-5 | ≥3 | 188 (25.4%) |
Si et al. (2021) [ |
IES-6 | ≥10 | 754 (34.2%) |
Song et al. (2021) [ |
PCL-C | ≥38 | 98 (37.5%) |
Tang et al. (2020) [ |
PCL-C | ≥38 | 67 (2.7%) |
Wathelet et al. (2021) [ |
PCL-5 | > 32 | 4,456 (19.5%) |
Abbreviations: PCL-C, PTSD Checklist-Civilian; PCL-5, Chinese PTSD Checklist for DSM-5; PC-PTSD-5, Primary care PTSD screen for DSM-5; IES-6, The Impact of Event Scale-6.
Quality assessment.
Study | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chi et al. (2021) [ |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Lee et al. (2021) [ |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Si et al. (2021) [ |
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Song et al. (2021) [ |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Tang et al. (2020) [ |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Wathelet et al. (2021) [ |
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
Criteria: (1) random sample or entire population; (2) unbiased sampling frame (census data); (3) adequate sample size (>300 subjects); (4) standard measures were used; (5) outcome measured by unbiased raters; (6) adequate response rate (>70%) and description of losses; (7) confidence intervals and subgroup analysis; (8) study subjects described.
Supplementary Materials
The following supporting information can be downloaded at:
References
1. WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on COVID-19—11 March 2020. Available online: https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-atthe-media-briefing-on-covid-19—11-march-2020 (accessed on 1 September 2021).
2. UNESCO. Survey on National Education Responses to COVID-19 School Closures, Round 2. 2020; Available online: https://covid19.uis.unesco.org/joint-covid-r2/ (accessed on 1 September 2021).
3. Idoiaga Mondragon, N.; Berasategi Sancho, N.; Eiguren Munitis, A.; Dosil Santamaria, M. Exploring the social and emotional representations used by students from the University of the Basque Country to face the first outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. Health Educ. Res.; 2021; 36, pp. 159-169. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/her/cyab006] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33582761]
4. Santabarbara, J.; Idoiaga, N.; Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N.; Bueno-Notivol, J. Prevalence of Anxiety in Dental Students during the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Meta-Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health; 2021; 18, 10978. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010978] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34682726]
5. Akram, U.; Fülöp, M.; Tiron-Tudor, A.; Topor, D.; Căpușneanu, S. Impact of Digitalization on Customers’ Well-Being in the Pandemic Period: Challenges and Opportunities for the Retail Industry. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health; 2021; 18, 7533. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147533] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34299984]
6. Basilaia, G.; Kvavadze, D. Transition to online education in schools during a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Georgia. Pedagog. Res.; 2020; 5, em0060. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.29333/pr/7937]
7. García-Morales, V.J.; Garrido-Moreno, A.; Martín-Rojas, R. The Transformation of Higher Education After the COVID Disruption: Emerging Challenges in an Online Learning Scenario. Front. Psychol.; 2021; 12, 616059. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.616059]
8. Di Domenico, L.; Pullano, G.; Sabbatini, C.E.; Boëlle, P.-Y.; Colizza, V. Modelling safe protocols for reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in France. Nat. Commun.; 2021; 12, 1073. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21249-6]
9. Alvarez-Risco, A.; Del-Aguila-Arcentales, S.; Rosen, M.; García-Ibarra, V.; Maycotte-Felkel, S.; Martínez-Toro, G.M. Expectations and Interests of University Students in COVID-19 Times about Sustainable Development Goals: Evidence from Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru. Sustainability; 2021; 13, 3306. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su13063306]
10. Cinar, A.B.; Bilodeau, S. Sustainable Workplace Mental Well Being for Sustainable SMEs: How?. Sustainability; 2022; 14, 5290. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su14095290]
11. Nurunnabi, M. Recovery planning and resilience of SMEs during the COVID-19: Experience from Saudi Arabia. J. Account. Organ. Change; 2020; 16, pp. 643-653. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JAOC-07-2020-0095]
12. Dhaliwal, M.; Small, R.; Webb, D.; Cluver, L.; Ibrahim, M.; Bok, L.; Nascimento, C.; Wang, C.; Garagic, A.; Jensen, L. Covid-19 as a long multiwave event: Implications for responses to safeguard younger generations. BMJ; 2022; 376, e068123. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-068123]
13. Ellanki, R.; Favara, M.; Le Thuc, D.; McKay, A.; Porter, C.; Sánchez, A.; Scott, D.; Woldehanna, T. Assessing the potential impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) outcomes: Evidence from telephone surveys in the four Young Lives countries. Emerald Open Res.; 2021; 3, 15. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.14263.1]
14. Islam, M.A.; Barna, S.D.; Raihan, H.; Khan, M.N.A.; Hossain, M.T. Depression and anxiety among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A web-based cross-sectional survey. PLoS ONE; 2020; 15, e0238162. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238162] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32845928]
15. Pekrun, R.; Goetz, T.; Titz, W.; Perry, R.P. Academic Emotions in Students’ Self-Regulated Learning and Achievement: A Program of Qualitative and Quantitative Research. Educ. Psychol.; 2002; 37, pp. 91-105. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3702_4]
16. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association Publishing: Washington, DC, USA, 2013.
17. DePierro, J.; Lowe, S.; Katz, C. Lessons learned from 9/11: Mental health perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res.; 2020; 288, 113024. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113024]
18. Chi, X.; Becker, B.; Yu, Q.; Willeit, P.; Jiao, C.; Huang, L.; Hossain, M.M.; Grabovac, I.; Yeung, A.; Lin, J. et al. Prevalence and Psychosocial Correlates of Mental Health Outcomes Among Chinese College Students During the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic. Front. Psychiatry; 2020; 11, 803. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00803]
19. Tang, W.; Hu, T.; Hu, B.; Jin, C.; Wang, G.; Xie, C.; Chen, S.; Xu, J. Prevalence and correlates of PTSD and depressive symptoms one month after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese university students. J. Affect. Disord.; 2020; 274, pp. 1-7. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.009]
20. Xiong, J.; Lipsitz, O.; Nasri, F.; Lui, L.M.W.; Gill, H.; Phan, L.; Chen-Li, D.; Iacobucci, M.; Ho, R.; Majeed, A. et al. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in the general population: A systematic review. J. Affect. Disord.; 2020; 277, pp. 55-64. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.001]
21. Lerias, D.; Byrne, M.K. Vicarious traumatization: Symptoms and predictors. Stress Health J. Int. Soc. Investig. Stress; 2003; 19, pp. 129-138. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smi.969]
22. Liu, N.; Xu, X.; Liu, Y. Recovery of vanadium and tungsten from spent selective catalytic reduction catalyst by alkaline pressure leaching. Physicochem. Probl. Miner. Process.; 2020; 56, pp. 407-420. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.37190/ppmp/118475]
23. Mejia, C.R.; Rodriguez-Alarcon, J.F.; Garay-Rios, L.; Enriquez-Anco, M.d.G.; Moreno, A.; Huaytan-Rojas, K.; Huari, N.H.-Ñ.; Julca-Gonzales, A.; Alvarez, C.H.; Choque-Vargas, J. et al. Percepción de miedo o exageración que transmiten los medios de comunicación en la población peruana durante la pandemia de la COVID-19. Rev. Cuba. Investig. Bioméd.; 2020; 39, e698E.
24. Liang, L.; Ren, H.; Cao, R.; Hu, Y.; Qin, Z.; Li, C.; Mei, S. The Effect of COVID-19 on Youth Mental Health. Psychiatr. Q.; 2020; 91, pp. 841-852. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11126-020-09744-3] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32319041]
25. Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N.; Dosil-Santamaria, M.; Picaza-Gorrochategui, M.; Idoiaga-Mondragon, N. Niveles de estrés, ansiedad y depresión en la primera fase del brote del COVID-19 en una muestra recogida en el norte de España. Cad. Saúde Pública; 2020; 36, [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0102-311x00054020] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32374806]
26. Czeisler, M.É.; Lane, R.I.; Petrosky, E.; Wiley, J.F.; Christensen, A.; Njai, R.; Weaver, M.D.; Robbins, R.; Facer-Childs, E.R.; Barger, L.K. et al. Mental Health, Substance Use, and Suicidal Ideation During the COVID-19 Pandemic—United States, 24–30 June 2020. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly. Rep.; 2020; 69, pp. 1049-1057. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32790653]
27. Wang, C.; Wen, W.; Zhang, H.; Ni, J.; Jiang, J.; Cheng, Y.; Zhou, M.; Ye, L.; Feng, Z.; Ge, Z. et al. Anxiety, depression, and stress prevalence among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J. Am. Coll. Health; 2021; pp. 1-8. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2021.1960849] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34469261]
28. Cummings, S.R.; Browner, W.S.; Hulley, S.B. Conceiving the research question and developing the study plan. Des. Clin. Res.; 2013; 4, pp. 14-22.
29. Moher, D.; Liberati, A.; Tetzlaff, J.; Altman, D.G. PRISMA Group. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Med.; 2009; 6, e1000097. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097]
30. Methods Group of the Campbell Collaboration. Methodological Expectations of Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews: Conduct Standards; Campbell Policies and Guidelines Series; The Campbell Collaboration: Oslo, Norway, 2016; Volume 3.
31. Harrer, M.; Cuijpers, P.; Furukawa, T.A.; Ebert, D.D. Doing Meta-Analysis with R: A Hands-On Guide; Chapman and Hall/CRC: Boca Raton, FL, USA, London, UK, 2021.
32. Moola, S.; Munn, Z.; Tufanaru, C.; Aromataris, E.; Sears, K.; Sfetc, R.; Currie, M.; Lisy, K.; Qureshi, R.; Mattis, P. et al. Systematic reviews of etiology and risk. Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer’s Manual; 5th ed. The Joanna Briggs Institute: Adelaide, Australia, 2017.
33. DerSimonian, R.; Laird, N. Meta-analysis in clinical trials. Control. Clin. Trials; 1986; 7, pp. 177-188. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0197-2456(86)90046-2]
34. Lin, L.; Xu, C. Arcsine-based transformations for meta-analysis of proportions: Pros, cons, and alternatives. Health Sci. Rep.; 2020; 3, e178. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.178]
35. Knapp, G.; Hartung, J. Improved tests for a random effects meta-regression with a single covariate. Stat. Med.; 2003; 22, pp. 2693-2710. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sim.1482]
36. Langan, D.; Higgins, J.P.; Jackson, D.; Bowden, J.; Veroniki, A.A.; Kontopantelis, E.; Viechtbauer, W.; Simmonds, M. A comparison of heterogeneity variance estimators in simulated random-effects meta-analyses. Res. Synth. Methods; 2019; 10, pp. 83-98. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1316]
37. von Hippel, P.T. The heterogeneity statistic I2 can be biased in small meta-analyses. BMC Med. Res. Methodol.; 2015; 15, 35. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12874-015-0024-z] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25880989]
38. Higgins, J.P.T.; Thompson, S.G.; Deeks, J.J.; Altman, D.G. Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses. BMJ; 2003; 327, pp. 557-560. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12958120]
39. Thompson, S.G.; Higgins, J.P. How should meta-regression analyses be undertaken and interpreted?. Stat. Med.; 2002; 21, pp. 1559-1573. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/sim.1187] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12111920]
40. Egger, M.; Schneider, M.; Smith, G.D. Meta-analysis Spurious precision? Meta-analysis of observational studies. BMJ; 1998; 316, pp. 140-144. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.316.7125.140]
41. Hunter, J.P.; Saratzis, A.; Sutton, A.J.; Boucher, R.H.; Sayers, R.D.; Bown, M.J. In meta-analyses of proportion studies, funnel plots were found to be an inaccurate method of assessing publication bias. J. Clin. Epidemiol.; 2014; 67, pp. 897-903. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.03.003]
42. Egger, M.; Smith, G.D.; Schneider, M.; Minder, C. Bias in meta-analysis detected by a simple, graphical test. BMJ; 1997; 315, pp. 629-634. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.315.7109.629]
43. Furuya-Kanamori, L.; Xu, C.; Lin, L.; Doan, T.; Chu, H.; Thalib, L.; Doi, S.A. P value–driven methods were underpowered to detect publication bias: Analysis of Cochrane review meta-analyses. J. Clin. Epidemiol.; 2020; 118, pp. 86-92. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.11.011]
44. Furuya-Kanamori, L.; Barendregt, J.J.; Doi, S.A. A new improved graphical and quantitative method for detecting bias in meta-analysis. Int. J. Evid.-Based Health; 2018; 16, pp. 195-203. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1097/XEB.0000000000000141]
45. Rosenberg, M.S. The file-drawer problem revisited: A general weighted method for calculating fail-safe numbers in meta-analysis. Evolution; 2005; 59, pp. 464-468. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0014-3820.2005.tb01004.x]
46. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Version 5.1.0.: The Cochrane Collaboration. 2011; Available online: https://handbook-5-1.cochrane.org/ (accessed on 1 September 2021).
47. Sterne, J.A.C.; Sutton, A.J.; Ioannidis, J.P.A.; Terrin, N.; Jones, D.R.; Lau, J.; Carpenter, J.; Rücker, G.; Harbord, R.M.; Schmid, C.H. et al. Recommendations for examining and interpreting funnel plot asymmetry in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials. BMJ; 2011; 343, d4002. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.d4002]
48. R Core Team. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing; R Foundation for Statistical Computing: Vienna, Austria, 2019.
49. Chi, X.; Huang, L.; Hall, D.L.; Li, R.; Liang, K.; Hossain, M.; Guo, T. Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Chinese College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study. Front. Public Health; 2021; 9, 759379. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.759379] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34900908]
50. Lee, C.M.; Juarez, M.; Rae, G.; Jones, L.; Rodriguez, R.M.; Davis, J.A.; Boysen-Osborn, M.; Kashima, K.J.; Krane, N.K.; Kman, N. et al. Anxiety, PTSD, and stressors in medical students during the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE; 2021; 16, e0255013. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255013] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34324555]
51. Si, M.-Y.; Su, X.-Y.; Jiang, Y.; Wang, W.-J.; Gu, X.-F.; Ma, L.; Li, J.; Zhang, S.-K.; Ren, Z.-F.; Liu, Y.-L. et al. Prevalence and Predictors of PTSD During the Initial Stage of COVID-19 Epidemic among Female College Students in China. Inq. J. Health Care Organ. Provis. Financ.; 2021; 58, 00469580211059953. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00469580211059953] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34933595]
52. Song, B.; Zhao, Y.; Zhu, J. COVID-19-related Traumatic Effects and Psychological Reactions among International Students. J. Epidemiol. Glob. Health; 2021; 11, pp. 117-123. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2991/jegh.k.201016.001] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33605116]
53. Wathelet, M.; Fovet, T.; Jousset, A.; Duhem, S.; Habran, E.; Horn, M.; Debien, C.; Notredame, C.-E.; Baubet, T.; Vaiva, G. et al. Prevalence of and factors associated with post-traumatic stress disorder among French university students 1 month after the COVID-19 lockdown. Transl. Psychiatry; 2021; 11, 327. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01438-z]
54. Zhang, L.; Pan, R.; Cai, Y.; Pan, J. The Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-Analysis. Psychiatry Investig.; 2021; 18, pp. 426-433. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.30773/pi.2020.0458]
55. Cénat, J.M.; Blais-Rochette, C.; Kokou-Kpolou, C.K.; Noorishad, P.-G.; Mukunzi, J.N.; McIntee, S.-E.; Dalexis, R.D.; Goulet, M.-A.; Labelle, P.R. Prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, and psychological distress among populations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res.; 2021; 295, 113599. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113599]
56. Qiu, D.; Li, Y.; Li, L.; He, J.; Ouyang, F.; Xiao, S. Prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms among people influenced by Coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak: A meta-analysis. Eur. Psychiatry; 2021; 64, e30. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.24]
57. Salehi, M.; Amanat, M.; Mohammadi, M.; Salmanian, M.; Rezaei, N.; Saghazadeh, A.; Garakani, A. The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder related symptoms in Coronavirus outbreaks: A systematic-review and meta-analysis. J. Affect. Disord.; 2021; 282, pp. 527-538. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.188]
58. Li, Y.; Scherer, N.; Felix, L.; Kuper, H. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE; 2021; 16, e0246454. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246454]
59. Yuan, K.; Gong, Y.-M.; Liu, L.; Sun, Y.-K.; Tian, S.-S.; Wang, Y.-J.; Zhong, Y.; Zhang, A.-Y.; Su, S.-Z.; Liu, X.-X. et al. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder after infectious disease pandemics in the twenty-first century, including COVID-19: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Mol. Psychiatry; 2021; 26, pp. 4982-4998. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01036-x] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33542468]
60. Idoiaga, N.; Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N.; Villagrasa, B.; Santabárbara, J. Meta-analysis of the prevalence of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorders) in teachers during COVID-19. Arch. Psychiatr. Nurs. in press. Available online: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/archives-of-psychiatric-nursing (accessed on 2 June 2022).
61. Ozamiz, N.; Legorburu, I.; Idoiaga, N.; Santabarbara, J. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis. 2022, in press.
62. Carmassi, C.; Foghi, C.; Dell’Oste, V.; Cordone, A.; Bertelloni, C.A.; Bui, E.; Dell’Osso, L. PTSD symptoms in healthcare workers facing the three coronavirus outbreaks: What can we expect after the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Res.; 2020; 292, 113312. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113312] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32717711]
63. Di Crosta, A.; Palumbo, R.; Marchetti, D.; Ceccato, I.; La Malva, P.; Maiella, R.; Cipi, M.; Roma, P.; Mammarella, N.; Verrocchio, M.C. et al. Individual differences, economic stability, and fear of contagion as risk factors for PTSD symptoms in the COVID-19 emergency. Front. Psychol.; 2020; 2329. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.567367] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33013604]
64. Sun, L.; Sun, Z.; Wu, L.; Zhu, Z.; Zhang, F.; Shang, Z.; Jia, Y.; Gu, J.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, Y. et al. Prevalence and risk factors for acute posttraumatic stress disorder during the COVID-19 outbreak. J. Affect. Disord.; 2021; 283, pp. 123-129. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.01.050]
65. Walter, L.A.; McGregor, A.J. Sex- and Gender-specific Observations and Implications for COVID-19. West. J. Emerg. Med.; 2020; 21, pp. 507-509. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.5811/westjem.2020.4.47536]
66. González-Sanguino, C.; Ausín, B.; Castellanos, M.Á.; Saiz, J.; López-Gómez, A.; Ugidos, C.; Muñoz, M. Mental health consequences during the initial stage of the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in Spain. Brain Behav. Immun.; 2020; 87, pp. 172-176. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.040]
67. Koenen, K.C.; Ratanatharathorn, A.; Ng, L.; McLaughlin, K.A.; Bromet, E.J.; Stein, D.J.; Karam, E.G.; Meron Ruscio, A.; Benjet, C.; Scott, K. et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the World Mental Health Surveys. Psychol. Med.; 2017; 47, pp. 2260-2274. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717000708]
68. Li, S.H.; Graham, B.M. Why are women so vulnerable to anxiety, trauma-related and stress-related disorders? The potential role of sex hormones. Lancet Psychiatry; 2017; 4, pp. 73-82. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30358-3]
69. Brewin, C.R.; Andrews, B.; Valentine, J.D. Meta-analysis of risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed adults. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.; 2000; 68, pp. 748-766. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.68.5.748]
70. Halperin, S.J.; Henderson, M.N.; Prenner, S.; Grauer, J.N. Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression among Medical Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study. J. Med. Educ. Curric. Dev.; 2021; 8, 2382120521991150. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2382120521991150]
71. Christiansen, D.M.; Berke, E.T. Gender- and Sex-Based Contributors to Sex Differences in PTSD. Curr. Psychiatry Rep.; 2020; 22, 19. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-1140-y] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32125541]
72. Chang, J.-J.; Ji, Y.; Li, Y.-H.; Pan, H.-F.; Su, P.-Y. Prevalence of anxiety symptom and depressive symptom among college students during COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis. J. Affect. Disord.; 2021; 292, pp. 242-254. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.05.109] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34134022]
73. Lasheras, I.; Gracia-García, P.; Lipnicki, D.M.; Bueno-Notivol, J.; López-Antón, R.; de la Cámara, C.; Lobo, A.; Santabárbara, J. Prevalence of anxiety in medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid systematic review with meta-analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health; 2020; 17, 6603. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186603] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32927871]
74. Wang, C.; Pan, R.; Wan, X.; Tan, Y.; Xu, L.; Ho, C.S.; Ho, R.C. Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health; 2020; 17, 1729. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729]
75. Firang, D. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international students in Canada. Int. Soc. Work; 2020; 63, pp. 820-824. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020872820940030]
76. Van de Velde, S.; Buffel, V.; Bracke, P.; Van Hal, G.; Somogyi, N.M.; Willems, B.; Wouters, E. C19 ISWS Consortium. The COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study. Scand. J. Public Health; 2021; 49, pp. 114-122. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1403494820981186]
77. Ardoino, G.I.; Queirolo, E.I.; Barg, G.; Ciccariello, D.A.; Kordas, K. The Relationship Among Depression, Parenting Stress, and Partner Support in Low-Income Women from Montevideo, Uruguay. Health Care Women Int.; 2013; 36, pp. 392-408. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2013.852552]
78. Seto, M.; Morimoto, K.; Maruyama, S. Effects of work-related factors and work-family conflict on depression among Japanese working women living with young children. Environ. Health Prev. Med.; 2004; 9, 220. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02898103]
79. Cheung, K.; Tam, K.Y.; Tsang, H.; Zhang, L.W.; Lit, S.W. Depression, anxiety and stress in different subgroups of first-year university students from 4-year cohort data. J. Affect. Disord.; 2020; 274, pp. 305-314. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.041]
80. Martínez-Lorca, M.; Martínez-Lorca, A.; Criado-Álvarez, J.J.; Armesilla, M.D.C.; Latorre, J.M. The fear of COVID-19 scale: Validation in spanish university students. Psychiatry Res.; 2020; 293, 113350. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113350]
81. Li, Y.; Wang, A.; Wu, Y.; Han, N.; Huang, H. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front. Psychol.; 2021; 12, 669119. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.669119] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34335381]
82. Santabárbara, J.; Ozamiz-Etxebarria, N.; Idoiaga, N.; Olaya, B.; Bueno-Novitol, J. Meta-Analysis of Prevalence of Depression in Dental Students during COVID-19 Pandemic. Medicina; 2021; 57, 1278. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/medicina57111278] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34833496]
83. Alisic, E.; Zalta, A.K.; Van Wesel, F.; Larsen, S.E.; Hafstad, G.S.; Hassanpour, K.; Smid, G.E. Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed children and adolescents: Meta-analysis. Br. J. Psychiatry; 2014; 204, pp. 335-340. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.113.131227] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24785767]
84. Lewis, S.J.; Arseneault, L.; Caspi, A.; Fisher, H.L.; Matthews, T.; Moffitt, T.E.; Odgers, C.L.; Stahl, D.; Teng, J.Y.; Danese, A. The epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in a representative cohort of young people in England and Wales. Lancet Psychiatry; 2019; 6, pp. 247-256. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30031-8]
85. Bennett, R.S.; Denne, M.; McGuire, R.; Hiller, R.M. A Systematic Review of Controlled-Trials for PTSD in Maltreated Children and Adolescents. Child Maltreatment; 2021; 26, pp. 325-343. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1077559520961176]
86. Simmons, C.; Meiser-Stedman, R.; Baily, H.; Beazley, P. A meta-analysis of dropout from evidence-based psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and young people. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol.; 2021; 12, 1947570. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1947570]
87. Freh, F.M. PTSD, depression, and anxiety among young people in Iraq one decade after the American invasion. Traumatology; 2016; 22, pp. 56-62. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/trm0000062]
88. Goh, J.X.; Hall, J.A.; Rosenthal, R. Mini Meta-Analysis of Your Own Studies: Some Arguments on Why and a Primer on How. Soc. Pers. Psychol. Compass; 2016; 10, pp. 535-549. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12267]
89. Falagas, M.E.; Pitsouni, E.I.; Malietzis, G.; Pappas, G.A. Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: Strengths and weaknesses. FASEB J.; 2008; 22, pp. 338-342. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.07-9492LSF]
90. Currie, C.L.; Larouche, R.; Voss, M.L.; Higa, E.K.; Spiwak, R.; Scott, D.; Tallow, T. The impact of eHealth group interventions on the mental, behavioral, and physical health of adults: A systematic review protocol. Syst. Rev.; 2020; 9, 217. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13643-020-01479-3]
91. Zamora-Polo, F.; Sánchez-Martín, J.; Corrales-Serrano, M.; Espejo-Antúnez, L. What Do University Students Know about Sustainable Development Goals? A Realistic Approach to the Reception of this UN Program Amongst the Youth Population. Sustainability; 2019; 11, 3533. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su11133533]
92. Chen, M.; Jeronen, E.; Wang, A. Toward Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Equity: How the Psychological Characteristics of College Students Are Reflected in Understanding Sustainable Development Goals. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health; 2021; 18, 8217. [DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18158217] [PubMed: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34360510]
You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer
Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in your Electronic Products License Agreement and by using the translation functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against ProQuest or its licensors for your use of the translation functionality and any output derived there from. Hide full disclaimer
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.
Abstract
Background: Most universities around the world have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. Many students were isolated at home and underwent a forced transition from face-to-face learning to e-learning, at least in the first few months. The subsequent months and years were typically characterised by a slow return to normal learning under COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. A potential consequence of the lockdowns, social restrictions and changes to learning is the development of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in university students, affecting their health and well-being (SDG3) and quality of education (SDG4). Materials and Methods: Medline was searched through PubMed for studies on the prevalence of PTSD in university students from 1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021. The pooled prevalence of PTSD was calculated with random-effects models. Results: A total of six studies were included, across which the prevalence of PTSD among university students was 23%. Meta-regression showed that the prevalence of PTSD was significantly higher with older age, but independent of the percentage of women in a study or its methodological quality. Conclusions: Our results suggest that students suffer from PTSD at a moderate rate. Measures are needed to address the mental health issues of university students that have arisen during COVID-19 all around the world.
You have requested "on-the-fly" machine translation of selected content from our databases. This functionality is provided solely for your convenience and is in no way intended to replace human translation. Show full disclaimer
Neither ProQuest nor its licensors make any representations or warranties with respect to the translations. The translations are automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. PROQUEST AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Your use of the translations is subject to all use restrictions contained in your Electronic Products License Agreement and by using the translation functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against ProQuest or its licensors for your use of the translation functionality and any output derived there from. Hide full disclaimer
Details






1 Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain;
2 Department Didactics and School Organisation, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940 Leioa, Spain;
3 Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia;
4 Psychogeriatry, CASM Benito Menni, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain;
5 Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Ministry of Science and Innovation, 28029 Madrid, Spain;