The immediate psychological effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on medical and non-medical students in China

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the immediate psychological effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on medical and non-medical students. METHODS: An online survey of 805 medical students and 1900 non-medical students was conducted from Feb 4, 2020 to Feb 7, 2020, in China. The questionnaire measured the subjective estimated severity of COVID-19, the impact of the outbreak, and the levels of anxiety and depression of both medical and non-medical students. RESULTS: Medical students estimated COVID-19 to be more serious and disastrous than non-medical students, while they scored lower than non-medical students on the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and less severe anxiety and depression than non-medical students. The students experienced greater impact from the outbreak and a higher rate of anxiety and depression with increased time focusing on the outbreak. The difference in psychological effects between medical and non-medical students was further enlarged when focusing time was prolonged. CONCLUSIONS: The immediate psychological effects of COVID-19 on medical and non-medical students exhibit different characteristics. The outcome of this study provides implication that providing accurate and transparent information about the epidemic and appropriate COVID-19-based knowledge in accessible ways will contribute to the public's mental health during the outbreak.