Prevalence and predictors of psychological distress among Chinese male adults: A cross-sectional study in a large general population

Since little is known about the mental health status of Chinese male adults, the present study aimed to explore the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress among Chinese male adults. This cross-sectional study recruited 6,140 men by convenience sampling in Liaoning and Shanghai. Psychological distress and perceived social support were measured by the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 and the Perceived Social Support Scale. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the factors associated with psychological distress. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among Chinese male adults were 14.2%, 26.4% and 12.9%, respectively. Male adults with low perceived social support reported symptoms on all measurements. Being middle-aged, college or above and residing in urban areas were associated with depression, while living in urban areas was the independent risk factor of anxiety. Stress was significantly associated with being middle-aged, married status and college or above. Our results revealed a high prevalence of psychological distress among Chinese male adults in this sample. Results suggest more attention needs to be paid to the mental health of male adults in the studied population, especially those who are middle-aged, college or above, married status and reside in urban areas.