Mental health status and influencing factors among Chinese college students in the post-COVID-19 pandemic period

After almost 3 years of battling against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the static infection prevention had evolved to a dynamic management model at the end of 2022. However, the considerable rebound from pandemic in some areas is generally accompanied by increasing public pressure and depression. Hence, we investigated the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health and sleep quality of college students in China by conducting a cross-sectional survey on undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students (n = 1105) through the Questionnaire Star survey platform. Demographic data, COVID-19-related stressors, information from four standardized scales (namely anxiety, depression, stress, and sleep), and other information were gathered through the survey. A total of 1120 questionnaires were collected, of which 1105 met the inclusion criteria. Most respondents were medical students (64%), and almost all of them had received the COVID-19 vaccine (99%). More people had been infected with COVID-19 (75%), with 33% showing mild to severe anxiety. A total of 54% of the respondents had mild to severe depression, 70% had moderate to severe perceived stress, and 28% had sleep disturbances. Further, analysis showed that the level of mental health was correlated with sleep. In addition, respondents from the medical specialty experienced more severe depression and anxiety (P < 0.01), and the increase in stress after the outbreak, in terms of anxiety and depression, became significantly more pronounced (P < 0.001). After the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the mental health level of college students was affected to some extent. The COVID-19 cases surge in some areas also resulted in psychological pressure and negative mental health among college students to a large extent even after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Despite the exigency to address the COVID-19 cases, attention must also be focused on the associated mental health problems, which require more systematic resolution from relevant authorities or departments.