Perceptions of public attitudes towards persons with mental illness in Beijing, China: results from a representative survey

Exploring Mental Health Services for Youth Experiencing Homelessness in East Asian Pacific Regions: A Systematic Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Youth experiencing homelessness (YEH) in East Asian Pacific (EAP) regions represent one of the most at-risk populations due to cultural and geographical factors. Effective mental health interventions, primarily researched in Western contexts, may not fully apply to YEH in EAP. Their lack of stable shelter, disrupted social networks, and limited access to mental health services elevate their susceptibility to adverse mental health, making urgent interventions essential to address their needs.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to explore and systematically search the types of mental health services and interventions available for YEH in EAP and their impact on overall quality of life and wellbeing.

METHODS

Electronic databases (e.g., Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus) were systematically searched (publication dates between 1 January 1990 and 13 May 2023), as well as additional online resources specific to homelessness. Articles were screened, and a critical appraisal assessed the quality of the included studies.

RESULTS

Eight studies with different interventions were identified in Indonesia (n = 2), Malaysia (n = 1), South Korea (n = 3), and the Philippines (n = 1). These were thematically clustered into six categories: art, cognitive behavioural therapy, life skills education, resilience enhancement, family strengthening, and government interventions/services.

CONCLUSIONS

This review highlights effective mental health interventions' positive impact on YEH mental health outcomes and quality of life in EAP, stressing the urgent need to implement socio-culturally sensitive services. Future research should address knowledge gaps through comprehensive studies covering diverse EAP regions and populations, prioritising socio-culturally specific psychological measures.

Mental health help-seeking intentions & coping strategies of Chinese international students in the United States

BACKGROUND

Chinese international students (CIS) in the United States may face unique mental health challenges that are often overlooked in discussions about mainstream college student needs.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the predictors of mental health (MH) professional help-seeking intentions among CIS at a large public Midwestern university, as well as the obstacles that hinder their use of professional MH services.

METHODS

The study used quantitative and qualitative approaches to gather data on CIS' help-seeking attitudes. Quantitative analysis focused on the association between specific factors and help-seeking intentions. Qualitative coding of open-ended questions provided additional insights into obstacles and suggestions for improving mental health support.

RESULTS

The study identified several factors influencing the mental health help-seeking intentions of Chinese international students. Two primary negative predictors were a preference for emotional self-control and concerns about the questionable quality of treatment. Conversely, having previous experience with professional mental health services, both in China and the United States, was found to be a positive predictor of help-seeking intentions. Additionally, qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed further obstacles to seeking help and provided useful suggestions for enhancing mental health support for Chinese international students in college settings.

CONCLUSIONS

The study identifies key factors that influence CIS' attitudes toward seeking professional mental health services. Understanding these factors can help in developing strategies to better support the mental health of CIS in college settings.

LIMITATIONS

Several limitations must be acknowledged in this study. The cross-sectional design limits the ability to draw causal inferences from the data. Additionally, the sample may not be fully representative of the broader population of Chinese international students, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Self-reported data may also introduce response biases. Future research should consider longitudinal approaches and a more diverse sample to validate and expand on these findings.

Older Adult Mental Health: A Student-Led Project to Reduce Stigma Among Residents Living in a Publicly Supported Housing

Twenty percent of older adults report having a concern about their mental health. Mental health concerns lead to impairments in physical, mental, and social functioning and complicate the management of chronic illness. These concerns are widely underrecognized and often untreated or under-treated in community-dwelling older adults. A 6-week student-led mental health promotion initiative for older adults living in publicly supported housing was developed. The initiative included student-led weekly "mood" screenings which aimed to destigmatize mental illness and educational sessions teaching the older adults how to use iPads and access the internet and Wi-Fi. The goal of the project was to have residents engage in telehealth visits that promote mental health and improve quality of life. Ungirded by the RE-AIM framework, the initiative focused on achieving Reach by ensuring participants had sufficient knowledge and skill in using the telehealth technology and were not encumbered by mental illness stigma. The project sample of older adults living in publicly supported housing self-reported minimal depressive symptoms and demonstrated stigma toward seeking help for mental illness. Cultural implications contribute to these findings. To have a program with good Reach as delineated in the RE-AIM model, it must recognize facilitators and barriers. Integrating affordability, cultural congruency, and a social connection to community in its design together with the utilization of students during implementation may promote mental health and mitigate some of the negative health consequences.

Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental disorders among non-mental health nurses in general hospitals of China: a national survey

Background

Negative attitudes of nurses toward mental disorders have been reported in various countries. Nurses' stigmatizing attitudes can harm patients with mental disorders (PWMD), thereby delaying the provision of help to patients and leading to decreased quality of care. In this study, we aimed to assess Chinese nurses' stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with mental illness and provide a basis for future development and testing of appropriate and culturally adapted interventions to reduce it.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Non-mental Health Nurses (NMHNs) in general hospitals in China toward the stigma of PWMD and determine the factors influencing them.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of NMHNs in general hospitals were conducted. A self-designed WeChat-based questionnaire was used that included demographic information about the need for training on mental health issues. Participants were provided with a vignette of a depression case with suicidal thoughts. The Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) and Social Distance Scale (SDS) were used to assess attitudes toward mental disorders. Nine questions on the adequacy of knowledge about anxiety and depression and the current status of scale use were used to assess the current status of training needs for mental disorders. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for the table.

Results

A total of 8,254 nurses in non-mental health professions participated in this study. The mean DSS score of NMHNs was (17.24 ± 6.700), and the SDS score was (10.34 ± 3.154). The total detection rate of stigma among the survey respondents was 13.40% (1,107/8254). Multivariate logistic regression showed that age between 30 and 39 years [p = 0.001, OR = 1.427 (1.154-1.764)], 4 years of work experience and above [p = 0.018, OR = 1.377 (1.056-1.796)], having a bachelor's degree [p < 0.001, OR = 0.742 (0.647-0.851)], adequate psychological knowledge [p < 0.001, OR = 1.567 (1.364-1.799)], full knowledge of communication with patients with anxiety and depression [p < 0.001, OR = 1.848 (1.389-2.459)], and the need to acquire skills to identify anxiety and depression were the influencing factors associated with stigma [p < 0.001, OR = 0.343 (0.236-0.499)].

Conclusion

Stigmatizing attitudes toward PWMD exist among NMHNs in general hospitals in China. Thus, more mental health education programs for NMHNs are needed. Factors associated with higher morbidity stigma can be used to develop appropriate interventions to improve NMHNs' stigmatizing attitudes and provide better quality care to PWMD.

Stigmatizing attitudes toward mental illness among caregivers of patients with mental disorders in China

Objective

This study aimed to investigate stigmatizing attitudes toward depression, schizophrenia, and general anxiety disorder (GAD) among caregivers of patients with mental disorders in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 607 caregivers in China, using vignettes that described three mental illnesses. Data on the caregivers' attitudes and other people's attitudes toward individuals with mental disorders and their willingness to come in contact with people with mental disorders were collected.

Results

In the three vignettes, caregivers agreed that positive outcomes outnumbered negative outcomes. The top two statements endorsing the stigma were "the person could snap out of the problem" and "people with this problem are dangerous." In the section for perceived stigma, caregivers in the GAD vignette agreed that most people believed this problem is not a real medical illness, compared to schizophrenia. The rates of the statement endorsing unpredictability were significantly different in the schizophrenia (57.2%) and depression (45.5%) vignette, in comparison to the GAD (45.6%) vignette. For personal stigma, the caregivers tended to avoid people described in the depression vignette more often than in the GAD vignette. The caregivers were most unwilling to let the person described in the vignettes marry into their family, especially in the schizophrenia vignette.

Conclusion

Despite the stigma and desire for social distance associated with schizophrenia, depression, and GAD, caregivers often expect positive outcomes. Actions should be taken to improve caregivers' knowledge about mental health and reduce the stigma.

Stigma toward mental disorders and associated factors among community mental health workers in Wuhan, China

BACKGROUND

Stigma toward mental disorders (STMD) is a significant barrier to mental health service delivery. To improve the provision of mental health services for community-dwelling residents in China, this study investigated STMD and its associated factors in community mental health workers (CMHWs) in Wuhan, China.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, a total of 3869 CMHWs (22.9% men and 37.1 ± 8.4 years old) were randomly selected through multistage sampling and invited to participate in this survey. The perceived devaluation-discrimination scale (PDD) and the National Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire (NMHLQ) were used to assess STMD and mental health knowledge, respectively. The presence of STMD was indicated by a mean item score of 3.0 or higher on the PDD. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with STMD.

RESULTS

Of the CMHWs, 41.9% had poor mental health knowledge (NMHLQ score < 80), and 18.5% exhibited STMD. In multiple regression analysis, factors significantly associated with STMD were social workers (vs. primary care physicians, OR = 1.44, p < .001), poor self-rated capacity to handle common mental health problems (vs. good, OR = 1.57, p < .001), and poor mental health knowledge (vs. NMHLQ score ≥ 80, OR = 1.46, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

STMD is common among Chinese CMHWs. To reduce STMD among CMHWs, training programs in mental health care skills and mental health education may be necessary.

Chinese University Students' Perspectives on Help-Seeking and Mental Health Counseling

Psychological distress and mental illness have become increasingly pervasive among Chinese university students. However, many university students who need mental health treatment or psychological support do not actively seek help from professional counselors or service providers, which could lead to poor mental health outcomes. To promote help-seeking, we undertook a qualitative study to understand Chinese university students' perspectives on help-seeking and mental health counseling. We conducted 13 focus group interviews with students in six universities in Jinan, China, and altogether 91 (62%) female students, and 56 (38%) male students participated in the study. Our results indicate that students' misconception and distrust of on-campus counseling, stigma of mental illness, low mental health literacy, and hard-to-access mental health services are the major barriers that impede students help-seeking behaviors. Internal struggles and systematic and organizational barriers are identified to shed light on future work to promote mental health literacy among Chinese university students.

Teachers' Perceptions of Student Mental Health in Eastern China: A Qualitative Study

In China, primary and secondary school teachers, known as ban zhu ren, have pastoral responsibility for the students in their class. The aim of this preliminary study is to identify how ban zhu ren perceive the mental health of their students, and how they have acted on these perceptions. Content analysis was used to organize the data and distinguish categories or themes derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with 27 ban zhu ren from Zhejiang and Anhui provinces. Frequencies of informant responses were used to identify the areas of agreement and disagreement across identified categories and themes among the informants. The results illustrate that the informants consider issues, such as not paying attention in class (n = 14), not getting along well with classmates (n = 12), and excessive gaming (n = 11) to be indicative of mental illness, although these would commonly be considered normal adolescent behaviors. Fifteen informants admitted that they found it difficult to work with student mental health issues, and 18 felt they had inadequate or non-existent training. However, all informants stated that they had intervened with what they perceived to be students’ mental health issues, although only 9 informants had referred students for professional help. The informants reported that they were reluctant to provide referrals, due to the stigmatization they believed students would experience if given a diagnosis of mental illness. We conclude that among our informants there is a lack of agreement on what behavioral and mental health issues are, and that informants may be confusing what are, in actuality, non-conformist or non-compliant (yet often normal), adolescent behaviors with mental illness due to insufficient mental health training.

Promoting the Mental Health of University Students in China: Protocol for Contextual Assessment to Inform Intervention Design and Adaptation

Background

Chinese students are extremely vulnerable to developing mental illness. The stigma associated with mental illness presents a barrier to seeking help for their mental health.

Objective

The Linking Hearts—Linking Youth and ‘Xin’ (hearts) project is an implementation science project that seeks to reduce mental illness stigma and promote the mental health of university students in Jinan, China. The Linking Hearts project consists of 3 components. In this paper, we outline the protocol for the first component, that is, the contextual assessment and analysis of the mental health needs of university students as the first step to inform the adaptation of an evidence-based intervention to be implemented in Jinan, China.

Methods

Six local universities will participate in the Linking Hearts project. A total of 100 students from each university (n=600) will engage in the contextual assessment through self-report surveys on depression, anxiety, stress, mental health knowledge, and mental health stigma. Quantitative data will be analyzed using several descriptive and inferential analyses via SPSS. A small number of participants (144 students and 144 service providers) will also be engaged in focus groups to assess the socio-environmental contexts of university students’ health and availability of mental health resources. Qualitative data will be transcribed verbatim and NVivo will be used for data management. Social network analysis will also be performed using EgoNet.

Results

Linking Hearts was funded in January 2018 for 5 years. The protocol of Linking Hearts and its 3 components was approved by the research ethics boards of all participating institutions in China in November 2018. Canadian institutions that gave approval were Ryerson University (REB2018-455) in January 2019, University of Alberta (Pro00089364), York University (e2019-162) in May 2019, and University of Toronto (RIS37724) in August 2019. Data collection took place upon ethics approval and was completed in January 2020. A total of 600 students were surveyed. An additional 147 students and 138 service providers took part in focus groups. Data analysis is ongoing. Results will be published in 2021.

Conclusions

Findings from this contextual assessment and analysis will generate new knowledge on university students’ mental health status, mental health knowledge, and resources available for them. These findings will be used to adapt and refine the Acceptance and Commitment to Empowerment-Linking Youth N’ Xin intervention model. The results of this contextual assessment will be used to inform the adaptation and refinement of the mental health intervention to promote the mental health of Chinese university students in Jinan.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/25009

The Relationship between Individual-Level and Context-Level Factors and Social Distancing from Patients with Depression in Taiwan: A Multilevel Analysis of National Surveys

Background: Research on social distancing from patients with depression has primarily focused on individual-level factors rather than context-level factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between individual-level and context-level factors and social distancing from depressive patients. Methods: Sample data were collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews with 800 Taiwanese adults aged 20 to 65 years in 2016. All effects were tested using multilevel analysis. Results: With regard to individual-level variables, male sex, older age, people with more perceived dangerousness and those with more emotional reaction of fear were associated with greater social distancing from depressive patients. After controlling for individual-level variables, a positive association was found between the degree of urbanization and social distancing. We also found the interaction between the density of psychiatric rehabilitation services and perceived dangerousness to be associated with social distance. This finding revealed that persons with more perceived dangerousness and living in a region with higher density of psychiatric rehabilitation services were associated with greater social distance. Conclusions: We found that social distancing from depressive patients is not only determined by individual-level factors but influenced by the surroundings. This study provides useful directions for the implementation of optimal anti-stigma interventions for patients with depression.

Mental health stigma and mental health knowledge in Chinese population: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the public stigma on mental illness and mental health knowledge (MHK) in China, public stigma and low MHK can negatively affect patients' health and increase the burden of mental disorders on society. This study aimed at investigating the rates of stigma and MHK, the correlates of stigma and MHK, and the association between MHK and stigma among a Chinese population.

METHODS

The data is from the Tianjin Mental Health Survey (TJMHS), which involved a large and a representative sample of adult community residents in the Chinese municipality of Tianjin (n = 11,748). In a 12% random subsample (n = 1775) the Perceived Discrimination and Devaluation scale (PDD) and a Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire (MHKQ) were administered. First, percentages of the responses to the individual items of the PDD and MHKQ were investigated. Second, sociodemographic correlates of PDD and MHK, and the association between stigma and MHK were investigated.

RESULTS

We found that a sizable proportion of participants responded that others would hold a negative attitude towards (former) mental patients, especially with regard to engaging in closer personal relationships. Most people were not familiar about the causes, treatments and prevention of mental illness. Resident area, age, education level, Per capita family income and employment status were related to devaluation score and MHKQ score. MHK was negatively associated with public stigma.

CONCLUSIONS

There is room for improvement with regard to levels of public stigma and MHK in China. Providing psychoeducation to improve public MHK could also contribute to reduction of public stigma.

HIV-related stigma and quality of life in people living with HIV and depressive symptoms: indirect effects of positive coping and perceived stress

Despite a strong evidence on the negative association between HIV-related stigma and quality of life (QoL), few studies have examined the indirect effects of this relationship. This study aimed to examine the association between HIV-related stigma and QoL and the indirect effects of positive coping and perceived stress in people living with HIV and depressive symptoms (PLWHD). This study used baseline date from a randomized controlled trial. Structural equation model was used to examine the association between HIV-related stigma and QoL as well as the indirect effects of positive coping and perceived stress. Perceived and internalized stigma had negative direct (β = -0.14, p < 0.05) effect on QoL. Moreover, perceived and internalized stigma had indirect effects on QoL through decreased positive coping and increased perceived stress (β = -0.23, p < 0.001). Multilevel interventions to reduce perceived and internalized stigma and perceived stress as well as programs to enhance positive coping may improve QoL of PLWHD. Integrated interventions that both enhance positive coping and reduce perceived stress and stigma are potentially more effective in improving QoL than programs that focus on only one aspect of stigma reduction among PLWHD.

Stigma towards depression in a community-based sample in China

OBJECTIVE

Understanding the general public's beliefs about depression is essential if public education and anti-stigma interventions are to be effective. This study aimed to examine Chinese respondents' personal attitudes towards depression and their perceptions about the attitudes of others regarding depression and to identify the correlates of personal stigma and perceived stigma towards depression.

METHODS

A community survey was conducted among 1697 residents aged between 16 and 89 years of a large city in central China using the Depression Stigma Scale. Participants completed questionnaires assessing experiences of depression and family functioning.

RESULTS

Participants reported high levels of stigma towards depression, with greater perceived stigma than personal stigma. Increasing age was correlated with greater personal stigma and perceived stigma. Higher personal stigma was also significantly correlated with being male, unemployed and good family function.

CONCLUSION

Concerningly high levels of stigmatizing beliefs towards depression were prevalent among the public. This may be a reason why people with mental disorders do not seek assistance. This highlights the importance of the need for health education and promotion activities. Findings from this study suggest that targeted, culturally appropriate education programs are needed to improve knowledge about depression in the broader community.

Violence against primary caregivers of people with severe mental illness and their knowledge and attitudes towards violence: A cross-sectional study in China

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the current situation of violence on primary caregivers of people with severe mental illness outside the hospital and the cognition of primary caregivers about violence among mental patients.

METHODS

A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate the primary caregivers (N = 208) of people with severe mental illness in a psychiatric hospital in Beijing.

RESULTS

The incidence rate of violence suffered by primary caregivers was 74.03%, of which 61.54% had experienced verbal attacks, 54.33% had experienced threats, and 45.19% experienced physical attacks. Physical violence, mainly by unarmed attacks, has resulted in soft tissue injury and pain in the majority of caregivers. Multiple admission times, a lower educational level, single in marital status and involuntary hospitalizations were risk factors; growing older was protective factor. The causes of violence were dominated by mental symptoms in 120 cases (57.69%). Tolerance and avoidance were the coping styles of most caregivers adopted after violence, accounting for 51.44%. Furthermore, most of primary caregivers have limited knowledge of violence and adopted an attitude of pessimism towards patients' violence.

CONCLUSIONS

It was reported that violence was suffered by primary caregivers of persons with severe mental illness outside the hospital. The study indicated that formulating reasonable nursing intervention, providing health education as well as organizing training towards violence of patients are required to play an important role in effectively preventing and reducing the violence among the people with severe mental illness in China. More information and support needs to be obtained to help caregivers fulfill their duty of care outside the hospital.

Psychiatry Residents in China: Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Career Satisfaction, and Related Factors

Objective: To study the socio-demographic characteristics, the working environment, and the level of career satisfaction among psychiatry residents in China. Method: This was a part of a large-scale, nation-wide online survey of hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patients. Data, including socio-demographics, work hours, income, job satisfaction, and intention to quit were collected anonymously. Respondents also completed the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ). Results: One thousand sixty residents nested in 32 psychiatric hospitals in 29 provinces in China completed the survey. Respondents were predominantly female (69.0%), worked an average of 47.8 ± 11.6 h per week, and 28.97% had experienced medical disputes in the previous year. The top three reported reasons for dissatisfaction were low pay (50.1%), contentious doctor-patient relationships (17.6%), and high workload (10.8%). An intention to quit their current job was reported by 18.7% of residents. The overall mean MSQ score was 73.8 ± 13.8, with significant differences across post-graduate training years and regions. A multilevel regression analysis found that a higher MSQ score was significantly associated with fewer years in residency, shorter work hours, higher monthly pay, having medical liability insurance, and feeling satisfied with the level of doctor-nurse cooperation, their hospitals' medical disputes prevention/management, and the healthcare workers' social environment. Conclusion: Psychiatry residents in China are predominantly female and well-educated. They are only moderately satisfied with their career. Poor salaries, contentious doctor-patient relationships and high workload are among their top complaints and may explain why a considerable proportion are intending to leave their current residency. More support from the government regarding residents' salaries, workload and working environment may help improve their job satisfaction and retention, ensuring that China will have a pool of well-trained and engaged psychiatrists for the future.

Regional differences in mental health stigma-Analysis of nationally representative data from the Health Survey for England, 2014

Background

Mental health stigma persists despite coordinated and widely-evaluated interventions. Socioeconomic, structural, and regional context may be important in shaping attitudes to mental illness, and response to stigma interventions. Regional differences in attitudes towards mental illness could be relevant for intervention, but have not been systematically explored. We evaluated regional variation in mental health stigma using nationally representative data from England, the Health Survey for England (HSE), from 2014.

Methods

A previously derived scale for mental health-related attitudes with 2 factors (i. tolerance and support, ii. prejudice and exclusion), and overall attitudes, were outcomes. Weighted linear regressions estimated contribution of individual characteristics and region of residence to inter-individual variability in mental health-related attitudes.

Results

London and southern regions tended to have more negative mental health-related attitudes. These differences were not fully or consistently explained by individual sociodemographic characteristics, or personal familiarity with mental illness.

Conclusions

Stigma policies could require refinements based on geographic setting. Regions may be in particular need of stigma interventions, or be more resistant to them. Regional differences might be related to media coverage of mental illness, funding differences, service availability, or accessibility of educational opportunities. Greater geographic detail is necessary to examine reasons for regional variation in stigmatizing attitudes towards people with mental illness, for example through multilevel analysis.

Mental Health-Related Stigma in China

OBJECTIVE

The past decade has been marked by a significant increase in information on stigma associated with mental disorders, but these findings have yet to be applied extensively to mental health services in China. The objective of this study was to conduct a narrative review of studies relating to stigma toward mental illness in China.

METHODS

A critical search of scientific papers was conducted in the PubMed, CNKI, and WANFANG databases. The search included articles published from January 2001 to April 2016.

RESULTS

Forty-two studies were evaluated and arranged into the following category groups: general public, health professionals, medical students, family members and caregivers, and people with mental disorders.

CONCLUSION

We identified some results similar to those reported in foreign settings. However, some noteworthy findings concerning the stigma of health professionals, medical students, and family members towards people with mental disorders in China should be the focus of further research. Interventions designed to reduce mental health-related stigma may benefit from considering cultural influences exhibited by the Chinese population.

Challenging mental health related stigma in China: Systematic review and meta-analysis. I. Interventions among the general public

Mental illness stigma is widely endorsed by the general public in China. Evidence-based anti-stigma interventions to reduce public stigma are needed. However, most studies on the efficacy of anti-stigma interventions took place in Western countries and existing Chinese studies were often not included in recent systematic reviews. This review evaluates the efficacy of anti-stigma interventions among the general population in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Eight databases in English and Chinese were searched for randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. Subgroup analyses compared interventions with and without consumer contact. Standardized mean differences were calculated from eligible studies where possible. We included 9 trials involving 2041 participants. Interventions yielded a small effect on stereotypes reduction and a similar effect on improving mental health literacy. No study assessed discrimination outcomes. Interventions with consumer contact were not superior to those without. There were insufficient data on medium and long term effects. Heterogeneity across studies was moderate. Quality of studies was modest. Further research using rigorous methods is required.

Development and validation of brief scales to measure emotional and behavioural problems among Chinese adolescents

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate brief scales to measure common emotional and behavioural problems among adolescents in the examination-oriented education system and collectivistic culture of China.

SETTING

Middle schools in Hunan province.

PARTICIPANTS

5442 middle school students aged 11-19 years were sampled. 4727 valid questionnaires were collected and used for validation of the scales. The final sample included 2408 boys and 2319 girls.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

The tools were assessed by the item response theory, classical test theory (reliability and construct validity) and differential item functioning.

RESULTS

Four scales to measure anxiety, depression, study problem and sociality problem were established. Exploratory factor analysis showed that each scale had two solutions. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable to good model fit for each scale. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of all scales were above 0.7. Item response theory showed that all items had acceptable discrimination parameters and most items had appropriate difficulty parameters. 10 items demonstrated differential item functioning with respect to gender.

CONCLUSIONS

Four brief scales were developed and validated among adolescents in middle schools of China. The scales have good psychometric properties with minor differential item functioning. They can be used in middle school settings, and will help school officials to assess the students' emotional/behavioural problems.