TY - JOUR
T1 - Mainland Chinese students’ mental health
T2 - baseline data and cautionary notes when exporting/importing psychological scales
AU - Askell-Williams, Helen
AU - Skrzypiec, Grace
AU - Cao, Fei
AU - Jin, Yan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, © 2018 NAPCE.
PY - 2018/7/3
Y1 - 2018/7/3
N2 - There is a growing interest in mainland China about schools’ roles in supporting students to develop positive mental health. However, relatively little data have been collected about mainland Chinese students’ mental health. This article reports a collaborative study, by eastern and western researchers, to translate and administer the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a School Satisfaction Scale (SSS) to students in mainland China. We discuss the possible absence of some western psychological constructs in eastern contexts, and possible cultural differences in the levels of participants’ compliant responses. Descriptive results indicated that the mainland Chinese students’ SDQ responses were similar to students in comparative countries. Factor analyses indicated that the SDQ needed modification when used with our mainland Chinese sample. Structural equation modelling showed relationships between higher school satisfaction and lower mental difficulties. The study provides baseline data to inform school-based mental health promotion initiatives in mainland China. Broader outcomes are to inform researchers and educators about processes and cautions when using previously validated questionnaires in new cultural contexts. We highlight the need for close east–west researcher collaboration when exporting/importing psychological questionnaires.
AB - There is a growing interest in mainland China about schools’ roles in supporting students to develop positive mental health. However, relatively little data have been collected about mainland Chinese students’ mental health. This article reports a collaborative study, by eastern and western researchers, to translate and administer the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a School Satisfaction Scale (SSS) to students in mainland China. We discuss the possible absence of some western psychological constructs in eastern contexts, and possible cultural differences in the levels of participants’ compliant responses. Descriptive results indicated that the mainland Chinese students’ SDQ responses were similar to students in comparative countries. Factor analyses indicated that the SDQ needed modification when used with our mainland Chinese sample. Structural equation modelling showed relationships between higher school satisfaction and lower mental difficulties. The study provides baseline data to inform school-based mental health promotion initiatives in mainland China. Broader outcomes are to inform researchers and educators about processes and cautions when using previously validated questionnaires in new cultural contexts. We highlight the need for close east–west researcher collaboration when exporting/importing psychological questionnaires.
KW - cross-cultural research
KW - Mainland Chinese students
KW - Mental health promotion
KW - primary and middle schools
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047935258&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/02643944.2018.1479569
DO - 10.1080/02643944.2018.1479569
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85047935258
SN - 0264-3944
VL - 36
SP - 238
EP - 252
JO - Pastoral Care in Education
JF - Pastoral Care in Education
IS - 3
ER -