Psychological strains, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among medical and non-medical staff in urban china

Background: The Strain Theory of Suicide has been tested and well supported regarding rural people who show risk of suicide. Studies on the impact of psychological strains on psychopathologies and suicidality in urban environments in China have been lacking. Aims: This study was designed to further examine the associations between psychological strains, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation in two separate urban samples of adults in China. Methods: One sample consisted of randomly selected medical employees of a large hospital (n = 1012), and a second sample included heterogeneous office employees (n = 1052). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect demographics, psychological strains, social support, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Results: Depressive symptoms were associated with longer work hours, less social support, value strain, aspiration strain and coping strain among medical staff, and were linked to longer work hours, less social support, aspiration strain and coping strain among non-medical staff. Suicide ideation was associated with longer work hours, coping strain, and depression among medical staff, and was linked to longer work hours, gender, religion, value strain and depression among non-medical staff. Conclusions: Both depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation were associated with psychological strains among Chinese urban professionals. Reduction of psychological strain is necessary to help maintain proper mental health and to ensure optimal performance at work.