Cited by 165Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentMental Health Treatment and AccessMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

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Prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents in China: A meta-analysis of observational studies

Rao, Wen-Wang, Xu, Dan-Dan, Cao, Xiao-Lan, Wen, Si-Ying, Che, Weng-Ian, Ng, Chee H., Ungvari, Gabor S., He, Fan, Xiang, Yu-Tao·2019·Psychiatry Research

DOI 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.133

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Abstract

Depressive symptoms are common in children and adolescents. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents in China vary significantly across studies. A meta-analysis of the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents in China was conducted. Literature search was performed in both English (PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE) and Chinese (China National Knowledge Internet, WANFANG Data and SinoMed) databases. Random-effects model was used to synthesize the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Eighteen studies covering 29,626 participants were identified and analyzed. All these studies used the same measurement to identify depressive symptoms. The reported point prevalence of depressive symptoms ranged between 4% and 41% in the studies; the pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms was 19.85% (95% confidence interval: 14.75%-24.96%). In the subgroup analyses the prevalence of depressive symptoms was significantly associated with the region where the study was conducted: 17.8% in eastern, 23.7% in central, 22.7% in western, and 14.5% in northeast regions of China (P < 0.001). Considering the adverse impact of depressive symptoms on health outcomes, regular screening and effective interventions should be implemented in this population.

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Parental Depressive Symptoms, Parent Attributional Style, and Child Coping as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms in Children of Parents with Anxiety or Mood Disorders
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Does having vulnerable friends help vulnerable youth? The co-evolution of friendships, victimization, and depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents' social networks
Qin, X., Laninga‐Wijnen, L., Steglich, C., Zhang, Y., Ren, P., & Veenstra, R. (2023) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.13945 · Cited by 13
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“A meta-analysis involving 29,626 cases revealed a pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents at 19.85% [4], highlighting a concerning statistic for the healthcare system.”
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“In China, this issue has evolved into a significant public health concern, with the prevalence of depression among children and adolescents reaching an estimated 19.8% in 2015 [7].”
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Machine learning identifies different related factors associated with depression and suicidal ideation in Chinese children and adolescents
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A school-based intervention programme to prevent anxiety and depression among Chinese children during the COVID-19 pandemic
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The Relationship Between Insufficient Sleep and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents: A National Survey of Contributing Factors
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Depressive Symptoms of Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
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Welfare Participation and Depression Symptoms Among Youth in China
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“In consonance with international trends, Chinese children and adolescents face an elevated risk of experiencing depressive symptoms (Rao et al., 2019).”
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The role of interpersonal trust in the associations between parental warmth and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: A mediation analysis
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Urban-Rural Differences in the Association Between Internet Use Trajectories and Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents: Longitudinal Observational Study
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“Studies have shown that, compared to the pre-pandemic period, the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese youth has signi ﬁ cantly increased during and post-pandemic (32 – 34).”
Background
The Efficacy of Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy on Psychological Well-being and Resilience of Students with Depressive Syndrome
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“Globally, 25.2% of adolescents were depressed during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent meta-analysis, while in China, the prevalence is 19.85% [2].”
Influential
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Investigating the Central and Bridge Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in China Rural Children With and Without Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Network Analysis Approach
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“Moreover, children residing in relatively economically underdeveloped regions exhibit significantly elevated levels of depression and anxiety (H. Liu et al., 2018; Rao et al., 2019).”
Predicting Chinese Adolescents’ Depressive Symptoms from Their Cultural Orientations and Perceived Parental Psychological Control
Klettner, A. M., Luo, S., White, T. D., Elkin, T. B., Hersey, G. C., & Wu, H. (2023) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941231203576 · Cited by 7
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Effect of a mental health education intervention on children’s life satisfaction and self-confidence in rural China
Long, Z., Wang, K., Wang, H., Yao, W., & Liu, C. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1277139 · Cited by 12
Perceived Social Support and Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Chain Mediation Model
Jin, L., Pan, C., Li, D., Zhang, T., Zhao, C.-H., & Wu, Y. (2025) · International Journal of Mental Health Promotion · doi:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.057962 · Cited by 6
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Jiang, Q., Liu, P., Qin, Y., Zhao, Z., Yan, B., Jin-hai, S., Dai, Z., Qian, Y. H., & Yuan, L. (2023) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/00207640231212090 · Cited by 5
“In China, the prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents ranges from 4% to 41%, with a pooled prevalence of 19.85% (Rao et al., 2019).”
BackgroundInfluential
Comparison of bullying victimization and depression symptoms among Chinese adolescents before and after the end of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy: a repeated cross-sectional study
Yang, Y., Lin, Y., Wang, F., Wang, S. J., Wang, J., Tong, F., & Gong, Q. H. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-025-06525-9 · Cited by 6
The Relationship Between Family Functioning and Depressive Symptoms in Primary School Children: The Mediating Role of Friendship Quality and the Moderating Role of Teacher–Student Relationship
Yang, Q., Ai, Y., Chi, Y., Guo, X., Liu, S., Qi, Q., & Hu, Y. (2025) · Child Care Health and Development · doi:10.1111/cch.70050 · Cited by 5
The impact of a high-fat diet (HFD) on mouse behavior, neurotransmitters, inflammation, and gut-brain axis metabolism under hypoxic conditions
Qiao, Y., Cheng, R., Zheng, H., Guo, J., Rong, L., Li, G., Wei, L., Gao, T., & Bi, H. (2025) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115782 · Cited by 5
Family Dynamics and Depression Among Children: An Integrative Review of Theoretical Models and Attachment-Based Interventions
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Combined patterns of physical activity, screen-based sedentary behaviour, and sleep duration and their associations with depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents
Lin, Y., Huang, J., Rankin, R., McDonald, S., Jiang, D., Li, S.-X., Lou, W.-W., Chen, Y., & Gong, Q. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1691683 · Cited by 7
“A recent meta-analysis of observational studies involving 29,626 Chinese children and adolescents reported that approximately 19.9% of students had DSs, with estimates of 17.8%, 23.7%, 22.7%, and 14.5% in the eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions of China, respectively (6).”
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Stepping away from the scroll: a chain mediation model from physical exercise and adolescent short video addiction
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Better mental health and better academic performance: A longitudinal study of high school freshmen in China
Lu, J., Tan, M., Ma, Y., Li, J., Yang, F., & Zhou, X. (2025) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.119424 · Cited by 7
Associations of body roundness index and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption with psychological symptoms in adolescents: a multicenter cross-sectional survey based on Chinese adolescents aged 12–18 years old
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Application of the “hospital-school-home-community” integrated mental health service model for primary and secondary school students in Chongqing, China
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Detection of antidepressants in wastewater from four provinces of China by UPLC-MS/MS to assess the regional prevalence of depression
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Authors: Rao, W.-W., Xu, D.-D., Cao, X.-L., Wen, S.-Y., Che, W.-I., Ng, C. H., Ungvari, G. S., He, F., & Xiang, Y.-T.
Affiliations: University of Macau (MO)
Harbin University (CN)
Shenzhen KangNing Hospital (CN)
Karolinska Institutet (SE)
The University of Melbourne (AU)
The University of Western Australia (AU)
Capital Medical University (CN)
Corresponding author: He, Fan
Xiang, Yu-Tao
ORCID: Rao, Wen-Wang
Ng, Chee H.
Ungvari, Gabor S.
He, Fan
Xiang, Yu-Tao
Venue: Psychiatry Research
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2019-02
Volume: 272
Pages: 790-796
ISSN: 0165-1781 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.133
OpenAlex: W2906196871
Cited by: 165
References: 34
Citations by year: 2026: 24 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 4
FWCI: 1.39
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Psychiatry Research (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
Funders: niversity of Macau (MYRG2015-00230-FHS, MYRG2016-00005-FHS)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords: depressive symptoms, childhood depression, adolescent depression, prevalence, China, regional variation, depression screening, mental health
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Child, China, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Mass Screening, Prevalence, Databases, Factual, Observational Studies as Topic, Neurodevelopmental Disorders

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Prevalence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents in China: A meta-analysis of observational studies

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