Social support and depressive symptoms among 'money' boys and general men who have sex with men in Shanghai, China

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Huamei Yan, Fudan University; Frank Wong, Emory University; Tony Zheng, Shanghai Piaoxue Cultural Media Ltd; Zhen Ning, Fudan University; Yingying Ding, Fudan University; Eric Nehl, Emory University; Lavinia Lin, Emory University; Naying He, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-01-01
• Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © CSIRO 2014
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/SH14017
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Sexual Health
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 3
• Start Page: 285
• End Page: 287
• Grant/Funding Information: The study was supported by a grant from the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (grant no. R01HD056956).; Preparation of this manuscript was supported by grants from the Emory Center for AIDS Research (P30 AI050409) to FYW and EJN, as well as by grants from the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau (grant no. XBR2011043) and the Chinese National Major Science & Technology Project of Infectious Diseases (grant no. 2012ZX10001007–006) to NH.
• Keywords: Major depression; Health; United States; Prevalence; Population; Migrants; Infectious Diseases; gay men; emotional health; HIV Risks; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Substance use; Stress; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Orientation; male sex workers; Science & Technology
• Research Categories: Education, Health; Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Health Sciences, Public Health; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

The primary objective was to examine prevalence and correlates of social support and depressive symptoms among male sex workers (known as 'money boys' (MBs)) and general men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shanghai. The Social Provision Scale (SPS), which consists of 24 items, scored out of 4 for social provision, was used to evaluate the functions of social relationships. The score for each item ranges from 1 to 4, with a higher score indicating more social provision. The overall mean SPS score was 68.1 (s.d.≤6.53) for MBs and 69.3 (s.d.≤6.99) for general MSM. Depression was measured with a 12-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), where a score of 9 has been recommended as the cutoff score to indicate possible depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 57.9%, with MBs having a higher level of depressive symptoms than general MSM (70.0% v. 46.1%) (odds ratio≤1.86, 95% confidence interval≤1.07-3.24). Social support was a protective factor for depressive symptoms (odds ratio≤0.92, 95% confidence interval≤0.89-0.96). MSM in China, particularly MBs, are vulnerable to low social support and high depressive symptoms, highlighting the need for tailored psychological programs targeting this population. © 2014 CSIRO.