title: Estimated mental health and analysis of relative factors for new Chinese recruits.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of the present study was to quantitatively assess and analyze influential psychosocial factors in the mental health of new military recruits.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2,734 army recruits were evaluated by using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and Trait Meta-Mood Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In general, the army recruits were found to be in a good state of mental health. The SCL-90 scores of the new recruits were significantly higher than those of the normal civilian population (p < 0.01). The new recruits were similar to the normal army population, with notable exceptions in the following three scales: obsessive-compulsive, depression, and anxiety (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). Factors that significantly influenced the SCL-90 scores included childhood environment, education level, and parental relationship. Results from the current study also revealed negative associations between the SCL-90 global severity index and the Trait Meta-Mood Scale subscale scores (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mental health status of army recruits is closely related to their childhood environment, education level, parental relationship, and emotional intelligence. These factors should be considered by mental health workers, to help new army recruits adapt to the new environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Li-Jie
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Dan-Min
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.forename: Li-Yi
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shui-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002681:China; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D008890:Military Psychiatry; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D055815:Young Adult