ABSTRACT
Objective To identify distinct subgroups of military personnel from Paracel Islands based on mental status for providing basis to intervention measures.Methods 174 enlisted military personnel were interviewed by symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90).The factor scores of SCL-90 were compared with army man norm and control group,then the cluster analysis was conducted.Results Interpersonal sensitivity,phobic and psychoticism of military personnel on Paracel Islands((1.65±0.56),(1.24±0.33),(1.44±0.46)) scored lower than those of army man norm (P＜0.05).Interpersonal sensitivity of military personnel on Paracel Islands scored lower than those of control (P＜0.05),depression and anxiety of them had no difference to control (P＞0.05),while other factors of them scored higher than control.According to cluster analysis,174 military personnel were divided into three subgroups.The first subgroup with high scores for all nine SCL-90-R dimensions,the second cluster showed moderate scores and the third cluster had lowest scores.Statistically significant sociodemographic differences could be found between the cluster groups (P＜0.05).Conclusion The mental health status of military personnel stationed in Paracel Islands is good on the whole,and can be divided into three clusters with different demographic and service characteristics.
ABSTRACT
Objective To assess attitudes and its related factors of Chinese military personnel on homosexual served in the military.Methods 1362 enlisted military personnel,selected from land force by cluster sampiing,were interviewed by Military Personnel's Attitudes Toward Homosexuals in the Military Scale(ATHM).Results The attitudes of the present sample toward homosexual served in the military were found to be negative(the total score on the ATHM scale was (29.28 ± 6.59).The threat dimension made the biggest contribution to the negative attitude,followed by the comfort dimension.Marital status was negatively related to the total scores of ATHM (r =-0.067,P ＜ 0.05),and other demographic variables such as age,only child,nationality,childhood environment,education level,years of service,and military rank were not associated with attitudes toward homosexuals in the military (r =-0.01,0.002,-0.035,-0.041,-0.015,-0.041,-0.039,P ＞ 0.05).Further multiple linear regression analysis found that marital status was one of the attitudes' predictors.Conclusion Because of the threat and discomfort with homosexual,the attitudes toward homosexual in the military are mildly negative,and marital status correlate with it.