Prevalence of Depressive, Anxiety, and OCD Symptoms among University Students in Singapore During COVID19

Using self-report screening questionnaires, this study surveyed 1779 university students twice in 2021 to estimate the prevalence of depressive, anxiety, and OCD symptoms across a six-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.Across two waves of measurement, results showed that the prevalence of elevated depressive and anxiety symptoms were 29-34% and 25%, respectively.The prevalence of those who met the screening criteria of OCD was 5.7-7.1%.These estimates appeared to be consistent with other studies conducted overseas during the pandemic, suggesting an increase in mental health concerns.No significant differences were consistently found across gender, race/ethnicity, household income, and year of study for this sample.Relative to depressive and anxiety symptoms, OCD symptoms showed a higher degree of stability six months later.This study contributed to the understanding of the mental health needs of the young adult population in Singapore and underscored the importance of including a systematic focus on mental well-being in the public health response to the pandemic.