The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany
Background: Mental health issues affect rich and poor, young and old, and are widespread in Asia as well as in Europe. However, few studies have investigated the influence of perceived stress and income on mental health among general population in China and in Germany. Methods: We conducted an onlin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023045528 |
| _version_ | 1797794646852632576 |
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| author | Ruihua Li Shuyan Liu Chuanning Huang Debora Darabi Min Zhao Stephan Heinzel |
| author_facet | Ruihua Li Shuyan Liu Chuanning Huang Debora Darabi Min Zhao Stephan Heinzel |
| author_sort | Ruihua Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Mental health issues affect rich and poor, young and old, and are widespread in Asia as well as in Europe. However, few studies have investigated the influence of perceived stress and income on mental health among general population in China and in Germany. Methods: We conducted an online survey from December 2021 to February 2022 to investigate how perceived stress and income affect mental health among the general population in China (N = 1123) and in Germany (N = 1018). Accordingly, we used the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We ran a multiple linear regression model to investigate the relationship between perceived stress, income, and mental health. Results: Overall, we found that 53.4% participants reported mental health issues (GHQ-12 score ≥12). The proportion of our sample who reported mental health issues was higher in Germany (60.3%) than in China (44.8%). The regression model revealed that a higher perceived stress score was associated with more mental health issues in both countries (b = 0.60, p < 0.01). Individuals with a low income reported poorer mental health in Germany than those in China. Interestingly, the situation was reversed when incomes were high: individuals with a high income reported worse mental health in China than in Germany (b = −0.40, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Perceived stress has a negative impact on mental health, while income has differential effects. Mental health promotion programmes may involve teaching stress management, while considering differences in mental health outcomes in developed and developing countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:05:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-92532ae5b5ff40fd8a3d6c013fe8650a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:05:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-92532ae5b5ff40fd8a3d6c013fe8650a2023-06-27T04:04:09ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-06-0196e17344The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and GermanyRuihua Li0Shuyan Liu1Chuanning Huang2Debora Darabi3Min Zhao4Stephan Heinzel5Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shandong Mental Health Center, Shandong University, Jinan, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte), Berlin, GermanyShanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte), Berlin, GermanyShanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Corresponding author. Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 South Wan Ping Road, Shanghai 200030, China.Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, GermanyBackground: Mental health issues affect rich and poor, young and old, and are widespread in Asia as well as in Europe. However, few studies have investigated the influence of perceived stress and income on mental health among general population in China and in Germany. Methods: We conducted an online survey from December 2021 to February 2022 to investigate how perceived stress and income affect mental health among the general population in China (N = 1123) and in Germany (N = 1018). Accordingly, we used the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). We ran a multiple linear regression model to investigate the relationship between perceived stress, income, and mental health. Results: Overall, we found that 53.4% participants reported mental health issues (GHQ-12 score ≥12). The proportion of our sample who reported mental health issues was higher in Germany (60.3%) than in China (44.8%). The regression model revealed that a higher perceived stress score was associated with more mental health issues in both countries (b = 0.60, p < 0.01). Individuals with a low income reported poorer mental health in Germany than those in China. Interestingly, the situation was reversed when incomes were high: individuals with a high income reported worse mental health in China than in Germany (b = −0.40, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Perceived stress has a negative impact on mental health, while income has differential effects. Mental health promotion programmes may involve teaching stress management, while considering differences in mental health outcomes in developed and developing countries.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023045528Mental healthEmotional strain and pressureSocioeconomic statusDeveloped and developing countries12-Item general health questionnaire |
| spellingShingle | Ruihua Li Shuyan Liu Chuanning Huang Debora Darabi Min Zhao Stephan Heinzel The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany Heliyon Mental health Emotional strain and pressure Socioeconomic status Developed and developing countries 12-Item general health questionnaire |
| title | The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany |
| title_full | The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany |
| title_fullStr | The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany |
| title_short | The influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in China and Germany |
| title_sort | influence of perceived stress and income on mental health in china and germany |
| topic | Mental health Emotional strain and pressure Socioeconomic status Developed and developing countries 12-Item general health questionnaire |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023045528 |
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