Depression, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms among Chinese college students: A network analysis across pandemic stages

Background As the stages of the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia have increasingly manifested among Chinese college students. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between these symptoms through network analysis among Chinese college students during COVID-19. Method A three-wave cross-sectional survey was conducted at 22 colleges in Guangdong Province, involving 381,152 students during three specific time intervals: T1 (baseline, February 3 to 10, 2020), T2 (19 months after baseline, June 10 to 18, 2021), and T3 (37 months after baseline, March 15 to April 22, 2023). Depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and insomnia (YSIS) were used separately. We analyzed two key network indices: “Expected influence” and “Bridge expected influence”. Network stability was assessed through a case-dropping bootstrap program. Result The effective sample sizes for the three periods were as follows: T1 - 164,101 (103,645 females, 63.2 %), T2 - 86,767 (52,146 females, 60.1 %), and T3 - 130,284 (76,720 females, 58.9 %). Across these three periods, the key central symptoms were “Fatigue” (PHQ4), “Restlessness” (GAD5), “Uncontrollable worrying” (GAD2), “Worry too much” (GAD3) and “Sleep insufficiency” (YSIS6). Notably, “Fatigue” (PHQ4), “Restlessness” (GAD5) and “Irritability” (GAD6) consistently served as bridge symptoms. In the T1 and T2 period, “Motor” (PHQ8) acted as a bridge symptom but weakened in T3. Conclusion Throughout the three periods, the mental health issues among Chinese college students displayed characteristics of somatization within the depression-anxiety-insomnia comorbidity network. Over time, anxiety symptoms appeared to become more prominent. Consequently, this study highlights the importance of accurately identifying and promptly intervening in these core symptoms of mental health among college students, as these symptoms may evolve across different stages of a pandemic.