Chinese college students’ mental health literacy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study investigated the changes in college students’ mental health literacy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We administered online surveys to 2,249 college students in 2019 and 3,007 college students in 2022, and the results showed that the pandemic heightened mental health literacy over this time. There were higher proportions of college students with high and moderate mental health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic, while there were fewer college students with low mental health literacy. The positive change in mental health literacy varied among different types of college students on the basis of individual factors such as age, gender, school roles, and family residential region. These findings emphasize the importance of tailored interventions and holistic approaches to mental health promotion in educational settings.