Urban stress in China

Nan Lin*, Gina W F Lai

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

35 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The stress-distress model is examined in the context of a Chinese urban center, Tianjin. Conceptually, the relationship between stress (as reflected in life events) and distress (as reflected in depressed symptoms) is hypothesized to hold across societies. At the same time, the measures of stress must reflect the social reality of a particular community of society. In the case of urban China, the politically-imposed stratification system arranges individuals and family lives around work units. These work units dictate all aspects of the life of the worker and his or her family, ranging from housing, major purchases, access to local and distance facilities, schooling and employment for children, to retirement pension and funeral expenses. As a result, relationships in the work context are expected to produce stress-inducing conflicts. Results from a community survey of Tianjin residents in 1986 support both the generality of the stress-distress model and the specificity of the effects of work-related stressors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1131-1145
Number of pages15
JournalSocial Science and Medicine
Volume41
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 1995

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Health(social science)
  • History and Philosophy of Science

User-Defined Keywords

  • China
  • occupational health
  • stress
  • urban problems

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