Mental health and its influencing factors among adult residents in Liao-ning province

Objective To examine the status of mental health and its influencing factors among adult residents in Liaoning province.Methods A survey was conducted using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)among 3 129 community residents aged 16-92 years selected with stratified multi-stage sampling in Liaoning province in 2010.Results The mean age of the 3 099 participants with valid information was 47.24±16.11 years.The average mental health score of the male participants was significantly higher than that of the female participants (27.05±3.87 vs.26.31±4.49,t=-4.8800; P<0.0001).The average mental health score of the urban residents was significantly higher than that of the rural residents (26.94±4.15 vs.26.35±4.27,t=3.893 5; P=3.893 5).The highest mental health scores (27.23±3.34 and 27.14±3.13)were observed among the residents aged 30-39 years (age category of China national welfare report)and 16-24 years (age category of World Health Organization).The mental health score of the unmarried residents was significantly higher than that of the residents divorced (26.91±3.27 vs.25.07±5.41) and the score of residents without formal education was significantly lower than that of residents with college education and above (25.57±5.07 vs.27.79±2.64).Conclusion Our results indicate that more attention should be paid to the mental health of female,rural,divorced,and less educated residents in Liaoning province.