A Study Of Women’s Mental Health In Rural Area Of Beijing Suburbs

The present study concerns women’s state of mental health in Beijing rural areas. Women aged over 20 years were selected from 16 villages of nine towns as the object of investigation in five districts and counties of Huairou, Yanqing, Tongzhou, Changping and Mentougou in the suburbs of Beijing. With psychological measuring tools of self-made questionnaire, SCL-90 survey scale and interviewing questionnaire, the objective of this study, based on the random sampling survey of 166 rural women, was to investigate psychological problems of their current state of mind, mental health and existing causes in their daily life. By means of qualitative and quantitative research, those extrinsic influencing factors were examined in revealing women’s state of mental health, including their environmental adaptation, economic status, children’s education and parents-in-law relationship, and those intrinsic influencing factors like lifestyle, physical condition, personality characteristics, mental pressure, interpersonal relationship, as well as their emotional characteristics of anxiety, depression, hostility, paranoia, phobia were mainly explored to reflect their life satisfaction and mental health. Statistical results of the survey showed, be it from total scores or sub factor scores, that there was no significant difference (P<0.01) between the samples’ state of mental health and domestic women’s health level, and that the positive screening rate did not exceed the normal range. Results also showed that the overall mental health level of rural women in Beijing suburbs were within the normal range, and the vast majority of rural women were satisfied with their life, their lifestyles and attitudes to life were generally positive, full of hope, and their mental health were in good condition. In presenting the overall state of rural women’s mental health, this study also attempted to identify those factors affecting the mental health of women in Beijing rural area, and conducted an analysis of correlation between those influencing factors. On the basis of the results and their analysis, considerations and suggestions were given on how to improve women’s mental health in rural area of Beijing suburbs. In order to better assist women with an easy access to social resources and essential aids in rural area of Beijing suburbs, this study applies relevant theories and approaches of social work to seek pathways to gain social support on mental health, and provides basic research data for the improvement of women’s mental health level in rural area of Beijing suburbs.