Asia Times (February 2) quoted a CNN report on a recent research by China’s Second Military Medical University and Navy Military Medical University, published in the British journal Military Medicine, revealed that the PLA Navy's submariners reported severe psychological problems at much higher rates compared to People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces as a whole. The researchers said “This study demonstrates for the first time that soldiers and officers in the submarine force in the South China Sea are facing mental health risks and suffering from serious psychological problems.” The study surveyed 580 male submariners in the PLA Navy’s South China Sea fleet, with 511 of those returning complete responses. A CNN report citing the study said PLA Navy submariners showed higher rates of anxiety, phobias, paranoia and somatization — where mental issues surface with physical symptoms — than among Chinese troops overall. The researchers said conditions and the military situation in the South China Sea exacerbate the problems. The researchers said “The physically unfriendly environment means that submariners are not only living in an isolated, constantly closed environment, but they also sleep in a cabin that is exposed to excessive noise.” They added that constant exposure to artificial light can also lead to mental problems, and that they had found submariners with college or post-graduate degrees suffered more mental problems than those with lower levels of education. They suggested two reasons for this: The highly educated have no way to relieve psychological pressures in their isolated environment and long for “freedom and integration into society.” The researchers also said the problems were more pronounced among those on nuclear-powered submarines versus those that were conventionally powered. Not only do complex nuclear-powered submarines require better educated personnel, those aboard them tend to worry more about accidents and the effect of radiation on their health.

(Comment: The study also found that age and length of service were found to be protective factors, with 26- to 30-year-old age group and individuals with 6 to 10 years of service having lower odds of poor mental health. Education level (bachelor’s degree) and workplace (nuclear submarine) were found to be risk factors. Five postgraduate students in the Science of Social Medicine and Health Management department at China's Second Military Medical University took part in a three-day training course before the investigation, which mainly included how to obtain informed consent and the skills necessary to administer and record the scale questions. They were trained uniformly by a survey supervisor from the Second Military Medical University so that they would be able to administer the questionnaires competently and ensure consistent quality. Data on "compulsory servicemen" and "Sergeants" were provided in the study but none on Officers. The research was funded by a “Three navigation” Military Medical Talents Program grant of the Navy Medical University, named “Research on Construction of Combat Stress Reduction Model of Aircraft Carrier Formation at Sea”. China has a fleet of at least 60 submarines and at least 10 of those are nuclear-powered. Reports forecast that the PLA Navy submarine force will increase by 16 nuclear-powered vessels in the next decade.)