Background Commercial divers have been facing a variety of stressful events, such as hyperbaric environment, uncertainty of undersea, confined and limited space, and emergency rescue, which make them susceptible to psychological problems and further reduce their performance efficiency and safety level. How to reduce the adverse influence of stressful events on mental health of commercial divers has become a major research topic.
Objective This study aims analyze the mediating effects of mental resilience in relationship between perceived stress and mental health of commercial divers.
Methods A total of 163 commercial divers, who worked at 8 salvage bureaus of Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Shanghai, Xiamen, Changcheng, Donghai, and Beihai and were on duty but without on-going salvage execution, were investigated with the Symptom Check List 90 (SCL-90), Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) to measure the perceived stress, resilience, and mental health. Structural equation model (SEM) was applied to explore the relationships.
Results A total of 163 valid questionnaires were returned (valid rate, 100%). The total scores of SCL-90 and dimensional scores of interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, and paranoid ideation were significantly lower than the norms in China (P < 0.05); the score of phobia was significantly higher than the norm in China (P < 0.05); the scores of somatization, coercion, anxiety, and psychoticism were not significantly different. There was no significant difference among categories of age/service time/marriage in perceived stress, resilience, and mental health. A model of perceived stress, resilience, and mental health was established by using SEM. The model was fairly suitable indicated by χ2=12.46 (P=0.330), χ2/df=1.132, GFI=0.979, TLI=0.997, CFI=0.998, RMSEA=0.029. The model showed that perceived stress had a positive effect on mental health of the commercial divers (B=0.32, P < 0.01), and the mediating effects of resilience between perceived stress and mental health account for 33%.
Conclusion The commercial divers show better mental health than Chinese norm. Their mental health may be associated with perceived stress, and resilience may have mediating effects on the relationship between perceived stress and mental health.
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