Community Mental Health Journal
Volume 48, Issue 3, 2012, Pages 342-351

Mental health status and related characteristics of chinese male rural-urban migrant workers (Article)

Yang T.* , Xu X. , Li M. , Rockett I.R.H. , Zhu W. , Ellison-Barnes A.
  • a Center for Tobacco Control Research, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
  • b Center for Tobacco Control Research, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
  • c School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  • d Injury Control Research Center, Department of Community Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
  • e Center for Tobacco Control Research, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, China
  • f Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, United States

Abstract

To explore mental health status and related characteristics in a sample of Chinese male rural-urban migrants. Subjects were 1, 595 male rural-urban migrant workers selected though a multi-stage sample survey conducted in two cities (Hangzhou and Guangzhou). Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Both life and work stressors were examined. Stress and mental health status were measured by the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) and the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with probable mental disorders. There are approximately 120 million rural-urban migrants in China. The prevalence of probable mental disorders in the sample population was 24.4% (95% CI: 23.3-25.5%), which was higher than among urban residents (20.2%, 95% CI: 18.8-21.7%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that five characteristics were positively associated with risk for probable mental disorders: originating in the South (OR = 2.00; 95% CI = 1.02, 4.00), higher life stress (OR = 7.63; 95% CI = 5.88, 10.00), staying in the city for 5-9 months each year (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.67, 3.85), higher work stress (OR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.96, 3.33), and separation from wife (OR = 2.43; 95% CI = 1.61, 3.57). Employment in machinery and transportation (OR = 0.54; 95% CI = 0.36, 0.81) and higher self-worth (OR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.28, 0.62) were negatively associated. Findings support an urgent need to develop specific policies and programs to address mental health problems among Chinese rural-urban migrants. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC (Outside the USA).

Author Keywords

Mental health China Stress Migrant workers

Index Keywords

urban population China Asian psychological aspect mental health human middle aged statistics Asian continental ancestry group rural population Stress, Psychological mental stress health status Time Factors Aged Mental Disorders Cross-Sectional Studies mental disease Young Adult cluster analysis cross-sectional study Humans male Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics questionnaire prevalence Article Questionnaires adult migration Transients and Migrants time
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84864838020&doi=10.1007%2fs10597-011-9395-8&partnerID=40&md5=053241458df9cb4bbe5d3d6f244923ae
DOI: 10.1007/s10597-011-9395-8
ISSN: 00103853
Cited by: 20
Original Language: English