University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Community Health Sciences, 118 College Drive, box 5122, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, United States.
Soc Sci Med. 2010 Jul;71(1):84-92. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.03.021. Epub 2010 Mar 27.
The global literature has revealed a potential negative impact of social stigma on both physical and mental health among stigmatized individuals; however, the mechanisms through which social stigma affects the individual's quality of life and mental health are not well understood. This research simultaneously examines the relationships of several determinants and mediating factors of psychological distress and quality of life. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey among 1006 adult (predominantly male) rural-to-urban migrants in 2004-2005 in Beijing, China. Participants reported on their perceived social stigma, discriminatory experiences in daily life, preparation for migration, discrepancy between expectation and reality, coping with stigma-related stress, psychological distress, and quality of life. Structural equation modeling was performed. We found that perceived social stigma and discriminatory experiences had direct negative effects on psychological distress and quality of life among rural-to-urban migrants. Expectation-reality discrepancy mediated the effects of perceived social stigma and discriminatory experiences on psychological distress and quality of life; coping mediated the effect of social stigma on quality of life. Psychological distress was associated with quality of life. Preparation prior to migration was positively related to coping skills, which were positively related to quality of life. We conclude that perceived social stigma and daily discriminatory experiences have a significant influence on psychological distress and quality of life among rural-to-urban migrants. Pre-migration training with a focus on establishment of effective coping skills and preparation of migration may be helpful to improve their quality of life and mental health.
全球文献表明，社会污名对污名化个体的身心健康都可能产生负面影响；然而，社会污名影响个体生活质量和心理健康的机制还不是很清楚。本研究同时检验了心理困扰和生活质量的几个决定因素和中介因素之间的关系。2004-2005 年期间，我们通过横断面调查在中国北京收集了 1006 名（主要为男性）农村到城市的流动人口的数据。参与者报告了他们感知到的社会污名、日常生活中的歧视经历、迁移准备、期望与现实的差距、应对与污名相关的压力、心理困扰和生活质量。我们进行了结构方程建模。我们发现，感知到的社会污名和歧视经历对农村到城市的流动人口的心理困扰和生活质量有直接的负面影响。期望-现实差距在感知到的社会污名和歧视经历对心理困扰和生活质量的影响中起中介作用；应对在社会污名对生活质量的影响中起中介作用。心理困扰与生活质量相关。迁移前的准备与应对技能呈正相关，而应对技能与生活质量呈正相关。我们的结论是，感知到的社会污名和日常歧视经历对农村到城市的流动人口的心理困扰和生活质量有显著影响。关注建立有效应对技能和迁移准备的迁移前培训可能有助于提高他们的生活质量和心理健康。
