Chinese Submariners Patrolling South China Sea Suffer 'Serious' Psych Problems, Study Finds Chinese Submariners Patrolling South China Sea Suffer 'Serious' Psych Problems, Study Finds Military News Members of the Submarine Academy in Qingdao, China, stand at attention during a visit by the United States' chief of naval operations, July 20, 2016. (Nathan Laird/U.S. Navy) 29 Jan 2021 Stars and Stripes | By Wyatt Olson A fifth of sailors assigned to Chinese submarines patrolling the South China Sea have experienced some degree of mental health problems, according to a study published this month. "This study demonstrates for the first time that soldiers and officers in the submarine force in the South China Sea are exposed to a number of mental health risks and are suffering from serious psychological problems," Chinese researchers concluded in the study published Jan. 7 in the journal Military Medicine. The study's five authors are affiliated with the Institute of Military Health Management at Naval Medical University in Shanghai, China. It assessed the "self-perceived" mental health of Chinese submariners, then compared those findings to "Chinese military male norms," the study said. The authors noted that the state of mental health in members of the Chinese military has been the subject of greater scrutiny since the country's Ministry of National Defense announced in 2006 that psychological testing would be included in the official recruitment examination. "One group of military personnel at high risk of mental health problems is the submarine force, especially in the South China Sea," the study said. "Not only is the South China Sea located in the tropical convergence zone, where the climate is characterized by high temperatures and high humidity, but it also has a geographical importance from a political perspective: Vietnam, the Philippines, and other countries around the South China Sea have intensified their territorial claims since 2007. Attributable to the tense relations between these countries, China has increased the number of cruising and sea maneuvers to strengthen protection of the South China Sea." While the United States maintains no territorial claims there, the U.S. Navy conducts routine freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea with surface vessels for what it describes as a means of supporting "a free and open Indo-Pacific." The frequency and scope of U.S. Navy submarine patrols beneath the sea has not been made public. A submariner's life is not an easy one, with sometimes-lengthy confinement to small spaces, manufactured air and artificial light. The U.S. Navy began embedding psychologists aboard aircraft carriers in 1996 to address medical evacuations due to mental health issues, and over the next decade mental health providers were inserted into other Navy and Marine Corps units. The findings of the just-published study -- which the authors say was "arguably the first" to examine the topic -- was based on responses to questionnaires by 511 submariners of five corps of the submarine force in the South China Sea. Submariners assessed their psychological symptoms using the Symptom Checklist-90-R, a brief but well-established instrument used in the mental health field for self-assessments. It is divided into nine broad categories of symptoms, such as obsessive-compulsive behavior, anxiety and hostility. Researchers found that the scores of symptoms by submariners in four categories "were significantly higher than the Chinese military male norms, indicating that the submarine force in the South China Sea had more serious psychological problems and symptoms of psychopathology." Those categories were obsessive-compulsive behavior, anxiety, phobic anxiety and somatization, which is when a mental state, such as depression, manifests itself in physical symptoms. Just over 21% -- or 108 submariners -- "rated positive for psychological problems," the study said. Submariners with a college education or higher had greater odds of experiencing mental health problems. Researchers found that the groups of submariners ages 26-30 or those who had been serving between six to 10 years had lower odds of such problems. The authors speculate that this "may be related to the characteristics of military work, which involves a high level of risk that requires not only a young body but also a rich service experience." Related Topics: Military Headlines US Navy Topics China South China Sea Global Hot Spots Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay © Copyright 2021 Stars and Stripes. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Just wondering, I worked briefly in radiation control overhauling the the Navy's nuclear subs and the controls were extensive. The Russian nuc subs it was said they treated their crew as expendable and exposure to radiation was said to be high. Wonder if the Chicoms nuclear subs treat their crews as expendable.
I can actually see China having purposely built one-way trip subs in their fleet - get them across the Pacific for a missile attack on the US >> there's a lot of willing suicide already in those people - knowing they are dead meat after the attack is done wouldn't faze them .....
There's some interesting differences between the average PLA soldier and one in the US military. Namely, they're almost all only children, used to being special and coddled. Granted my personal interaction with Chinese guys is limited to the gamers, but getting killed isn't high on anyone's lists. There's some speculation among the peasants that the whole self destruct helmet thing is less about being able to kill a soldier who is captured, and more about "I swear to god Private Schmuck if I see you turn tail and run I'll blow you to bits" style motivation. This isn't an army that's salivating over shipping out.
Let's just say that thanks to Hyman G Rickover (Admiral Extrodinair) the USA was the only group who bolted and welded their Nuc Boats' Reactor Vessels. I knew him only in passing and can say he required the troops to very exacting, now the Officers he did require to be beyond perfect. Fact is when when the PTB wanted to only bolt or only weld the reactor vessels he ask them just one question. If this was your son on a Boat what would you want?
I'll take your word for it, I speak from what I went thru. I am sure there are other branches of various services that required psych evals, but we are on the subject of chinese sub sailors, not B52 air crew or code analysts.
"not B52 air crew or code analysts." I'm not any of those in fact I am a poor old Smoke Boat Sailor, as well as a number of Nukes.
