Hygiene and Preventive Medicine
Subgrouping military personnel on Paracel Islands using SCL-90 and cluster analysis
Qi Cheng, Yili Zhang, Huanlin Wang, Zixiang Song, Yinhua Bi, Mei Jin, Zhankui Cai
Published 2014-10-20
Cite as Chin J Behav Med & Brain Sci, 2014, 23(10): 935-937. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.1674-6554.2014.10.021
Abstract
ObjectiveTo identify distinct subgroups of military personnel from Paracel Islands based on mental status for providing basis to intervention measures.
Methods174 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.
ResultsInterpersonal 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).
ConclusionThe 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.
Key words:
Paracel Islands; Military personnel; SCL-90; Cluster analysis
Contributor Information
Qi Cheng
Department of Adolescence and Children’s Behavioral Medicine, Psychiatric Center of Chinese PLA, PLA 102nd Hospital, Clinic College of Mental Health, The Second Military Medical University, Changzhou 213003, China
Yili Zhang
Huanlin Wang
Zixiang Song
Yinhua Bi
Mei Jin
Zhankui Cai