Demographics and characteristics
The average age of the respondents was 39.62±9.53, ranging from 19 to 60 years. See Table 1 for basic information such as gender, age group, marital status, education level, and monthly income.
Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the whole sample(n=6364)
Variables
|
n
|
Percentage(%)
|
Gender
|
|
|
Male
|
3837
|
60.3
|
Female
|
2527
|
39.7
|
Age group(years)
|
|
|
18-29
|
1085
|
17.0
|
30-39
|
2255
|
35.4
|
40-49
|
1836
|
28.8
|
50-60
|
1188
|
18.7
|
Marital Status
|
|
|
Married
|
5585
|
87.8
|
Single/divorced/widowed
|
779
|
12.2
|
Education level
|
|
|
Junior college or below
|
1898
|
29.8
|
College
|
3650
|
57.4
|
Master or above
|
816
|
12.8
|
Monthly income(RMB)
|
|
|
<3000
|
420
|
6.6
|
3000-5000
|
1421
|
22.3
|
>5000
|
4523
|
71.1
|
Mental health of the general population in Beijing
According to the SCL-90 evaluation results, the test population was divided into mental health (all factors averaged <1.5 points), mental sub-health (more than 1 factor averaged ≥1.5 points and <2 points), mild psychological problems (1 or 2 factors were equally divided between ≥ 2 points and <3 points), moderate psychological problems (1 or 2 factors were equal ≥ 3 points and <4 points, or 3 or more factors were equal ≥ 2 points and <3 points), and severe psychological problems (more than 1 factor equaled ≥4 points or more than 3 factors equaled ≥3 points; see Table 2).
Table 2 Mental health of the general population in Beijing
Mental health level
|
N
|
Percentage(%)
|
Mental health
|
1427
|
22.4
|
Mental sub-health
|
1931
|
30.3
|
Mild psychological problems
|
1230
|
19.3
|
Moderate psychological problems
|
1489
|
23.4
|
Severe psychological problems
|
287
|
4.5
|
SCL-90 scores and comparison of the general population in Beijing
The average scores of SCL-90 factors in the general population of Beijing ranged from 1.28 to 1.75, and no significant peak was found. The test results were compared with the 1986 norm. Except for the paranoid factors, the average scores of the other factors were all higher than those of the 1986 Chinese norm in the Beijing general population, and the difference was very significant (p<0.01). See Table 3 for details.
Table 3 Comparison of results obtained by self-assessment of General population of Beijing and norm data(±s)
Item
|
General population of Beijing(n=6364)
|
Norm(n=1388)
|
t
|
P
|
SCL-90
|
138.23±44.69
|
129±38.76
|
16.482
|
0.000
|
Average positive factors
|
1.54±0.50
|
1.44±0.43
|
15.398
|
0.000
|
Somatization
|
1.52±0.52
|
1.37±0.48
|
23.631
|
0.000
|
Obsessive-Compulsive
|
1.75±0.61
|
1.62±0.58
|
17.470
|
0.000
|
Interpersonal Sensitivity
|
1.63±0.59
|
1.65±0.51
|
-2.917
|
0.004
|
Depression
|
1.53±0.58
|
1.50±0.59
|
4.189
|
0.000
|
Anxiety
|
1.51±0.55
|
1.39±0.43
|
16.924
|
0.000
|
Hostility
|
1.57±0.62
|
1.48±0.56
|
12.011
|
0.000
|
Phobic
|
1.28±0.44
|
1.23±0.41
|
9.820
|
0.000
|
Paranoid
|
1.43±0.55
|
1.43±0.57
|
0.000
|
0.748
|
Psychotic Symptom
|
1.43±0.51
|
1.29±0.42
|
22.179
|
0.000
|
Impact of gender on the SCL-90 in Beijing’s general population
A gender comparison of the scores of the general population in Beijing and the 1986 Chinese norm SCL-90 was conducted [15]. The interpersonal sensitivity (p>0.05), depression (p>0.05), and paranoid (p>0.05) factors were statistically significant in male comparisons. The scores of the interpersonal relationship factors were lower than those of the 1986 norm, the scores of the depression factors were higher than those of the 1986 norm, and the scores of the paranoid factors were equal to those of the 1986 Chinese norm. In the comparison of women, it was found that the interpersonal sensitivity (p>0.05) factor was statistically significant, and the score was lower than the Chinese norm in 1986. See Table 4 for details.
Table 4 Comparison of SCL-90 factor scores of different sexes in Beijing's general population(±s)
Item
|
Male
|
Female
|
General population of Beijing(n=3837)
|
Norm(n=724)
|
General population of Beijing(n=2527)
|
Norm(n=664)
|
Somatization
|
1.52±0.53
|
1.38±0.49**
|
1.52±0.50
|
1.37±0.47**
|
Obsessive-Compulsive
|
1.75±0.62
|
1.66±0.61**
|
1.76±0.59
|
1.59±0.54**
|
Interpersonal Sensitivity
|
1.65±0.61
|
1.66±0.58
|
1.60±0.56
|
1.61±0.58
|
Depression
|
1.53±0.58
|
1.51±0.60
|
1.54±0.57
|
1.49±0.56**
|
Anxiety
|
1.51±0.56
|
1.41±0.44**
|
1.51±0.53
|
1.37±0.42**
|
Hostility
|
1.59±0.65
|
1.48±0.56**
|
1.54±0.57
|
1.45±0.52**
|
Phobic
|
1.29±0.47
|
1.23±0.37**
|
1.27±0.40
|
1.30±0.47**
|
Paranoid
|
1.46±0.58
|
1.46±0.59
|
1.37±0.49
|
1.41±0.54**
|
Psychotic symptom
|
1.45±0.53
|
1.32±0.44**
|
1.40±0.47
|
1.26±0.39**
|
**P<0.01
SCL-90 scores and comparison of different age groups in Beijing
The SCL-90 test results of the general population in Beijing at different ages were compared with the 1986 Chinese norm [15]. Except for the 18–29-year-old phobic factor and the 40–49-year-old depression factor, the average scores of the other factors were higher than the 1986 Chinese norm in the general population of Beijing. The difference was very significant (p<0.01). See Table 5 for details.
Table 5 Comparison of SCL-90 factor scores between Beijing ordinary population at different ages and Chinese norms in 1986(±s)
|
18-29
|
30-39
|
40-49
|
50-60
|
Item
|
General population of Beijing(n=1085)
|
Norm(n=781)
|
General population of Beijing(n=2255)
|
Norm(n=332)
|
General population of Beijing(n=1836)
|
Norm(n=185)
|
General population of Beijing(n=1188)
|
Norm(n=90)
|
Somatization
|
1.44±0.47
|
1.34±0.45**
|
1.51±0.51
|
1.37±0.52**
|
1.55±0.52
|
1.50±0.50**
|
1.58±0.56
|
1.42±0.52**
|
Obsessive-Compulsive
|
1.81±0.60
|
1.69±0.61**
|
1.78±0.63
|
1.50±0.50**
|
1.72±0.59
|
1.63±0.53**
|
1.70±0.61
|
1.46±0.45**
|
Interpersonal Sensitivity
|
1.66±0.58
|
1.76±0.67**
|
1.65±0.62
|
1.47±0.51**
|
1.60±0.57
|
1.53±0.53**
|
1.59±0.58
|
1.39±0.37**
|
Depression
|
1.52±0.57
|
1.57±0.61**
|
1.55±0.62
|
1.39±0.52**
|
1.52±0.56
|
1.51±0.58
|
1.51±0.54
|
1.36±0.40**
|
Anxiety
|
1.54±0.53
|
1.42±0.43**
|
1.53±0.57
|
1.33±0.42**
|
1.49±0.53
|
1.41±0.44**
|
1.47±0.54
|
1.30±0.41**
|
Hostility
|
1.55±0.60
|
1.50±0.57*
|
1.63±0.66
|
1.41±0.50**
|
1.55±0.59
|
1.44±0.53**
|
1.53±0.59
|
1.34±0.39**
|
Phobic
|
1.32±0.43
|
1.33±0.47
|
1.28±0.44
|
1.20±0.36**
|
1.26±0.42
|
1.18±0.34**
|
1.30±0.50
|
1.12±0.31**
|
Paranoid
|
1.43±0.53
|
1.52±0.60**
|
1.46±0.58
|
1.35±0.53**
|
1.40±0.53
|
1.84±0.51**
|
1.41±0.54
|
1.20±0.30**
|
Psychotic symptom
|
1.45±0.49
|
1.36±0.47**
|
1.44±0.52
|
1.20±0.31**
|
1.41±0.49
|
1.21±0.35**
|
1.42±0.51
|
1.16±0.32**
|
*P<0.05,**P<0.01
Multivariate linear regression analysis of SCL-90 total scores in Beijing’s general population
The SCL-90 total score was used as the dependent variable, and gender, age, marital status, education, and income were used as the independent variables. Single factor multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The results showed that gender and income were statistically significant to the total score (P<0.05). After adjusting for related confounders, the effect of gender and income on the total score was still statistically significant. The tolerances of the explanatory variables were 0.998, greater than 0.10, and the VIFs were 1.002, less than 2, suggesting that there was no multicollinearity among the independent variables in the equation. Among them, the regression coefficients of gender and income were negative and less than -0.1, which indicates that the two independent variables had a negative predictive effect on the total score of the SCL-90 (p<0.05). See Table 6 for details.
Table 6 Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis of factors influencing the SCL-90 score of the general population in Beijing
Independent variable
|
Assignment
|
B
|
SE
|
β
|
t
|
P
|
Monthly income (RMB)
|
1=<3000, 2=3000-5000, 3=>5000
|
-1.974
|
0.933
|
-0.027
|
-2.117
|
0.034
|
Gender
|
1=Male, 2=Female
|
-2.368
|
1.145
|
-0.026
|
-2.068
|
0.039
|