[Investigation on mental health of residents living in a mineral area in Hubei province].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of mining operations on the mental health of residents living in a mining area in Hubei province.


METHODS
Villagers (n = 93) living in the mining area were compared with a control group of residents (n = 101) in mental health status, and knowledge of environment and health. The mental health status of villagers was assessed using the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI); The knowledge of environment and health was evaluated using a self-designed questionnaire. The urine and hair samples were collected from some subjects. The lead, cadmium, arsenic, copper and zinc contents were detected as well as the total protein, NAG, d-ALA in the urine.


RESULTS
The occurrence rate of lead, cadmium, arsenic exposure symptoms was significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group. The urine cadmium, the hair cadmium, the hair arsenic and hair lead were significantly higher in the exposed group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The positive symptom detection rate of SCL-90 in the exposed group was 8.60% compared with 0.99% of the control group. For the SCL-90, the total scale, somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, other symptom in the exposed groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), indicating the status of the psychological hygiene of the exposed group was worse than the control group. The total S-AI (anxiety) score and the sex-specific value in the exposed group were higher than the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), which showed that the anxiety of the exposed group was more evident. The total T-AI score and the sex-specific value in women of the exposed group were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.01), showing that the anxiety were more significant in the exposed group, especially the women of the exposed group.


CONCLUSIONS
The mental health status of the residents who living in a mining area is affected and they have a higher S-AI and T-AI scale than those living a non-mining area.
The Institute of Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China.
Wei-min
WM
Dang
Wen-jun
WJ
Ma
Sheng
S
Wang
Chuan
C
Shi
Liang-ping
LP
Su
Hong-yu
HY
Guan
Qi
Q
Zhang
Yun
Y
Wang
Qian
Q
Zhao
Tao
T
Yang
Li-juan
LJ
Xiang
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004777:Environment; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008906:Mining; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D019216:Metals, Heavy