Association of self-consistency and anxiety with health in cult members: a case-control study

Objective To investigate health status and associations of self-consistency and anxiety with health in cult members and to provide references for improving education and transformation of the cults.Methods Using random sampling,63 cult members were recruited from a correctional facility and 69 gender-,age-,and education level-matched non-cult healthy persons were recruited from the public as the controls in Xi'an city of Shaanxi province;all the participants were self-administered with Self-Rated Health Measurement Scale(SRHMS),Self-Consistency and Congruence(SCCS),State-Trait Anxiety Inventory(STAI),and a self-desinged general questionnaire during March to May 2014.Results Compared to the controls,the cult members had significantly lower scores for physical health (119.11±23.96 vs.131.86±21.51),mental health (89.17±18.55 vs.104.80±24.26),social health (74.68±16.70 vs.86.00±20.52),and overall health (310.33±45.65 vs.353.36.±60.02)(all P<0.01).The domain score for disharmony between ego and experience (49.85±10.16) and the total SCCS score (100.73±13.14) were significantly higher among the cult members than those (46.32±8.41 and 95.95±10.53) among the controls(both P<0.05),while the self-flexibility domain score of the cult members was significantly lower than that of the controls (41.96±4.66 vs.44.62±7.88)(P<0.05).The STAI score of the cult members was significantly higher than that of the controls (48.98±7.46 vs.40.87±8.97)(t=5.618,P<0.001).The results of stepwise multivariate linear regression showed that among the cult members,trait anxiety was a main influencing factor of physiological health;the disharmony between ego and experience and trait anxiety were main influencing factors of mental health;the total SCCS score was an influencing factor of social health;and trait anxiety was an influencing factor of total SRHMS score.Conclusion The health status is at a relative low level and the situation is related to high trait anxiety and low self congruence.