Nowadays, it is increasingly common to observe mental health problems among college students. According to Regehr (2013), nearly half of college students experience moderate levels of mental health symptoms, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. With universality, Chinese university students also suffer from mental health problems, more than twenty percent of Chinese college students experienced depression over the past decade. Although gender difference has been proved to influence mental health, there is no conclusive evidence that implies the factors of gender impact college students’ mental health situation. 

To further explore the impact of gender difference on the mental health status of Chinese college students, Gao, Ping, and Liu (2020) investigated three research questions: the average levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among college students by gender during the four academic years; the prevalence of mental problems in college students by gender and year; and the students’ personality, lifestyle, family background and academic pressure associated with mental health problems for freshmen. The data used in this study were collected from the Beijing College Students Panel Survey (BCSPS) in China, which adopted a probability proportional to size sampling method and a three-stage sampling design including universities, majors, and enrollment year.   

In general, from a descriptive analysis of gender differences in the mental health of college students, females suffered more from anxiety, especially in the first two years of college. The factors that aggravate female anxiety are body shame, stressful life circumstances, and academic performance. For male students, it is more common to experience depressive problems. On average, both female and male college students experience mild anxiety in the first three years. Overall, there is a downward trend for depression, anxiety, and stress during four years of college. However, for students who suffer from depressive disorders and anxiety problems their mental health problems may persist. 

The results suggest that for Chinese college students, anxiety is the most serious mental health issue, especially for female students. Based on this and according to the authors, colleges should develop more policies reflecting the gender differentials and offer female and male students different guidance in the first two years of college. Considering the significantly high level of anxiety for female students, it would be very helpful to break the gender stereotypes prevailing in society and provide encouragement for self-confidence. The psychology consulting department should also pay attention to male students’ mental states and encourage them to express their emotions more and seek professional help if needed.  

Reference article:
W., Ping, S., & Liu, X. (2020). Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress among college Students: A longitudinal study from China. Journal of Affective Disorders, 263, 292-300. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.121