World health & population
Volume 11, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 24-38

Mental health symptoms among rural-to-urban migrants in China: a comparison with their urban and rural counterparts. (Article)

Li X.* , Stanton B. , Fang X. , Xiong Q. , Yu S. , Lin D. , Hong Y. , Zhang L. , Chen X. , Wang B.
  • a Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • b Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • c Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • d Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • e Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • f Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • g Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • h Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • i Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
  • j Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, Detroit, MI 48201, United States

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mental health symptoms among rural-to-urban migrants in China, in comparison with representative samples of their counterparts in the rural areas from where they emigrated and urban communities to which they immigrated. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2004-2005 in China. Both rural-to-urban migrants (n=1006) and urban residents (n=1000) were recruited in Beijing; the rural resident sample (n=1020) was recruited from the eight provinces of origin for 75% of the migrant sample. Mental health symptoms were measured using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). RESULTS: Both rural-to-urban migrants and rural residents scored higher than urban residents in all the SCL-90 global indices and subscales. The rural-to-urban migrants scored higher than rural residents on the SCL-90 Positive Symptom Distress Index and two subscales (depression and psychoticism). The difference remained significant after controlling for a number of key individual characteristics (age, gender, marital status, education, income and perceived general health) in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: The data in the current study demonstrate that rural-to-urban migrants suffer from lower mental health status than both urban residents in the immigrating communities and their rural counterparts in the emigrating communities. The data suggest a possible deteriorative effect of migratory experience on mental health status among rural-to-urban migrants in China and suggest an urgent need for etiological studies and for mental health promotion and prevention efforts among this growing population.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

residential mobility urban population Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale China depression human statistics psychosis rural population comparative study Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans male female Psychotic Disorders prevalence Article adult migration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-77649312686&partnerID=40&md5=b83918c2d5309593afd4dc3f59d34dbb
ISSN: 17183340
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English