Factor Analysis And Application Of The Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire

ObjectiveAs an important medium adjusting role between stressors and mental health, coping styles have a great meaning to individuals. Good and active coping styles can significantly improve the levels of mental health. The goal of this study is to further explore the internal structure of two-dimensional factors model of simplified coping style questionnaire basing on a large sample database through factor analysis. Extract new factors to build a new factors model, name these factors according to the reference. Then compare with the two-dimensional factors model, discuss the structural features of these two models. To assess the new factors model validity by analyzing the relationship between these factors and mental health status. To analyze and discuss the relationship between these factors and general population by comparing coping styles and these two models.MethodsStratified multistage cluster randomization was used to select23987individuals^18years of age from20urban neighborhoods (from10sub-districts in5urban districts) and60rural villages (from30rural town ships in15counties) from5prefects of the Shandong Province. These subjects were assessed by general healthy questionnaire and simplified coping style questionnaire, and22718individuals completed questionnaires actually (10457male and12261female). All subjects were tested by a self-made general information questionnaire (included gender, age, profession, living type, belief and so on), general health questionnaire (reflect mental health level of the general population), simplified coping style questionnaire (reflect coping styles of the general population). These questionnaires were completed by subjects themselves. If the subjects were illiterate, the investigator should read items one by one to them without any explanation, choosing the answer by subjects themselves. Epidata3.1and SPSS18.0were applied to conduct statistical analysis. Factor analysis, t test, F test and correlation analysis were used in this study. Results1. SCSQ positive dimension average score was1.39±0.59, Negative dimension average score was0.93±0.47.2. The sample was suitable for factor analysis.20items of SCSQ were divided into five factors, which included active problem focused coping styles, active emotion focused coping styles, passive emotion focused coping styles, passive problem focused coping styles, psychological counseling. The factors average score were1.29±0.61,1.81±0.65,0.88±0.63,0.57±0.57,1.28±0.98.3. Compare with two-dimensional factors model, each item has a reasonable dimension of belonging in five-dimensional factors model. Each factor and its items have a good internal consistency, and with other items have certainly independence.4. Five-dimensional factors model:Active problem focused coping styles, active emotion focused coping styles and psychological counseling were negatively correlated to the scores of GHQ-12(P<0.01); Passive problem focused coping styles and passive emotion focused coping styles were positively correlated to the scores of GHQ-12(P<0.01). The differences of coping styles (mild risk group, moderate risk group, high risk group) were statistically significant(.P<0.01). Five-dimensional factors model has good structure validity and can reflect the relationship between coping styles and mental health level.5.1) Two-dimensional factors model:"female, unmarried,<30years, collective dormitory, public administration" in active coping styles and "other marital status,>60years, unemployed" in passive coping styles, the scores of coping styles were higher than other categories, the differences of coping styles were statistically significant(P<0.05).2) Five-dimensional factors model:"unmarried,<30years, collective dormitory, public administration" in active problem focused coping styles,"female, Other marital status,>60years, housewife" in active emotion focused coping styles,"Other marital status, live alone, religion,>60years, housewife" in passive emotion focused coping styles,"male, unmarried,<30years, collective dormitory, public administration" in passive problem focused coping styles,"unmarried, collective dormitory,<30years, public administration" in psychological counseling the scores of coping styles were higher than other categories, the differences of coping styles were statistically significant(P<0.05). Five-dimensional factors model can reflect the differences of coping styles in multiple dimensions.Conclusions1. SCSQ could extract five factors through factor analysis, respectively named active problem focused coping styles; active emotion focused coping styles; passive emotion focused coping styles; passive problem focused coping styles; psychological counseling.2. The factors of the five-dimensional factors model have a good internal consistency with its attributable items, and with other items have a certainly independence. Five-dimensional factors model has good structure validity and could reflect the relationship between coping styles and mental health level.3. Compare with two-dimensional factors model, five-dimensional factors model could distinguish the differences of coping styles and reflect the characters of coping styles of individuals from multiple dimensions.4. Five-dimensional factors model not only focus on the levels of active and passive coping, but also consider the levels of emotion focused, problem focused coping and psychological counseling, which can reflect the characters of coping styles, at the same time more help to analyze the level of mental health.