Psychological Disturbances and Associated Risk Factors in Chinese Mine Rescuers: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to assess the psychological disturbance profiles of Chinese mine rescuers and identify associated risk factors.

A stratified whole-group sampling method was employed to select 150 members of the Datong Mine Rescue Team in China as survey participants. These participants completed the following 6 assessment tools: the Injury Assessment Questionnaire for Mine Rescuers, the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The relationships between sociodemographic variables, risk factors, and psychological disturbances were analyzed using logistic regression analysis.

Based on the cut-off scores for the SAS, SDS, and SCL-90, the sample was categorized into high- and low-risk groups. Among the 150 participants of the Datong Mine Rescue Team in China, the prevalences of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress were 15.3%, 17.3%, and 43.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that self-perception of stress (OR=4.359, p=0.005), sleep quality (OR=4.338, p=0.010), training-related injuries history (OR=5.609, p=0.040), and training frequency (OR=3.013, p=0.047) were risk factors for anxiety among mine rescuers. Additionally, self-perception of stress (OR=7.371, p<0.001) was identified as a risk factor for depression, while sleep quality (OR=4.844, p<0.001) was a risk factor for psychological disturbance based on the SCL-90. Training with existing injuries was found to be a risk factor for interpersonal sensitivity (OR=10.054, p=0.006), depression (OR=4.698, p=0.033), anxiety (OR=6.472, p=0.027), hostility (OR=3.864, p=0.047), and other factor (OR=3.736, p=0.020) among rescuers.

Nearly half of the rescuers from the Datong Mine Rescue Team exhibited adverse psychological symptoms. Associated risk factors included self-perceived stress, sleep quality, training frequency, history of training-related injuries, and training with existing injuries. To promote mental health among rescuers, it is crucial to manage training-related injuries and proactively prevent training with under existing injury conditions.