Mental health symptoms among rural-to-urban migrants in China: a comparison with their urban and rural counterparts.
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.
Li
Xiaoming
X
Pediatric Prevention Research Center, Carmen and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Hutzel Building 5th Floor W534, 4707 Saint Antoine St., Detroit, MI 48201, USA. xiaoli@med.wayne.edu
Stanton
Bonita
B
Fang
Xiaoyi
X
Xiong
Qing
Q
Yu
Shuli
S
Lin
Danhua
D
Hong
Yan
Y
Zhang
Liying
L
Chen
Xinguang
X
Wang
Bo
B
D000328:Adult; D010054:Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult