Mental health of Chinese migrant workers in factories in Shenzhen, China: Effects of migration stress and social competence

The present study aimed to examine the mental health conditions of migrant workers in factories in Shenzhen, China, and to examine the effects of migration stress and social competence on the mental health of these migrants. A total of 582 migrant workers were recruited from 17 factories scattered in 8 different industries. The mental health situations of the migrant workers were assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). The migrant workers' migration stress and social competence were measured by the Migration Stress Scale and Social Competence Scale. The results suggest that migrant workers experienced four major clusters of psychiatric symptoms: interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive compulsion, depression, and hostility. Regression analysis revealed that migration stress and social competence significantly predicted the migrant workers' mental health. Migration stress alone explained 23% of the variance. Specifically, “financial and employment difficulties” and lack of social life significantly predicted the mental health of the migrant workers. In the area of social competence, “social skills and language learning” and “personal characteristics” exerted significant effects on the mental health of migrant workers. In conclusion, social policies concerning migrant workers should aim at facilitating adjustments among migrant workers employed by factories in China. Prevention and treatment programs to improve the mental health of migrant workers in factories should also be implemented.