TY - JOUR
T1 - Depression, anxiety and suicidality among Chinese mental health professionals immediately after China's dynamic zero-COVID policy
T2 - A network perspective
AU - Chen, Meng Yi
AU - Chen, Pan
AU - An, Feng Rong
AU - Sha, Sha
AU - Feng, Yuan
AU - Su, Zhaohui
AU - Cheung, Teris
AU - Ungvari, Gabor S.
AU - Ng, Chee H.
AU - Zhang, Ling
AU - Xiang, Yu Tao
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024/5/1
Y1 - 2024/5/1
N2 - Background: Using network analysis, the interactions between mental health problems at the symptom level can be explored in depth. This study examined the network structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms and suicidality among mental health professionals after the end of China's Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy. Methods: A total of 10,647 mental health professionals were recruited nationwide from January to February 2023. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), respectively, while suicidality was defined by a ‘yes’ response to any of the standard questions regarding suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plan (SP) and suicide attempt (SA). Expected Influence (EI) and Bridge Expected Influence (bEI) were used as centrality indices in the symptom network to characterize the structure of the symptoms. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicidality were 45.99 %, 28.40 %, and 7.71 %, respectively. The network analysis identified GAD5 (“Restlessness”) as the most central symptom, followed by PHQ4 (“Fatigue”) and GAD7 (“Feeling afraid”). Additionally, PHQ6 (“Guilt”), GAD5 (“Restlessness”), and PHQ8 (“Motor disturbance”) were bridge nodes linking depressive and anxiety symptoms with suicidality. The flow network indicated that the strongest connections of S (“Suicidality”) was with PHQ6 (“Guilt”), GAD7 (“Feeling afraid”), and PHQ2 (“Sad mood”). Conclusions: Depression, anxiety, and suicidality among mental health professionals were highly prevalent after China's Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy ended. Effective measures should target central and bridge symptoms identified in this network model to address the mental health problems in those at-risk.
AB - Background: Using network analysis, the interactions between mental health problems at the symptom level can be explored in depth. This study examined the network structure of depressive and anxiety symptoms and suicidality among mental health professionals after the end of China's Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy. Methods: A total of 10,647 mental health professionals were recruited nationwide from January to February 2023. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), respectively, while suicidality was defined by a ‘yes’ response to any of the standard questions regarding suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plan (SP) and suicide attempt (SA). Expected Influence (EI) and Bridge Expected Influence (bEI) were used as centrality indices in the symptom network to characterize the structure of the symptoms. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and suicidality were 45.99 %, 28.40 %, and 7.71 %, respectively. The network analysis identified GAD5 (“Restlessness”) as the most central symptom, followed by PHQ4 (“Fatigue”) and GAD7 (“Feeling afraid”). Additionally, PHQ6 (“Guilt”), GAD5 (“Restlessness”), and PHQ8 (“Motor disturbance”) were bridge nodes linking depressive and anxiety symptoms with suicidality. The flow network indicated that the strongest connections of S (“Suicidality”) was with PHQ6 (“Guilt”), GAD7 (“Feeling afraid”), and PHQ2 (“Sad mood”). Conclusions: Depression, anxiety, and suicidality among mental health professionals were highly prevalent after China's Dynamic Zero-COVID Policy ended. Effective measures should target central and bridge symptoms identified in this network model to address the mental health problems in those at-risk.
KW - Anxiety
KW - COVID-19
KW - Depression
KW - Mental health professionals
KW - Suicidality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85185574812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.270
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2024.01.270
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 38316260
AN - SCOPUS:85185574812
SN - 0165-0327
VL - 352
SP - 153
EP - 162
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
ER -