Developmental characteristics of mental quality in 1771 cadets of military scientific & technical university

Abstract

Objective To explore the mental quality developmental characteristics of cadets majored in military science and technology. Methods Mental Quality Questionnaire for army men(MQQA) and Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90) were employed to evaluate 1771 cadets majored in science and technology , comparing mental quality differences related to gender, age, length of military service, grade and education level, etc. Results ①MQQA scores of cadets for aptitude (68.67±9.45), loyalty(75.98±8.97), bravery(68.46±9.12), self-confidence(65.72±6.61), willpower(67.7±8.33) and total score(345.90±37.79) were significantly higher than those of the army norm and the young army norm(P<0.01). ②There was significant age difference (P<0.01) in MQQA scores. And the total score gradually increased with age. ③There was significant length of military service difference (P<0.01), and the total score decreased at the beginning 3 years and then increased later. ④There was significant grade difference (P<0.01) in MQQA scores. The scores of Grade One were significantly lower than those of Grade Two and Grade Four, but higher than those of Grade Three(P<0.01); the scores of Grade Three were significantly lower than those of Grade Two and Grade Four(P<0.01). ⑤ There was significant education level difference (P<0.01), and the scores of junior college students were significantly higher than those of undergraduates, graduate students and training students (P<0.01); loyalty score of undergraduates was significantly higher than that of graduate students (P<0.05); willpower score of graduate students was significantly lower than that of undergraduates and post-work training students (P<0.05). Conclusion Cadets majored in science and technology have good mental quality, which is significantly influenced by age, length of military service, grade and level of education. Key words: Military scientific & technical university; Cadets; Mental quality; Mental health; Development characteristics