IntroductionThe People’s Liberation Army (PLA, China) Navy is increasingly conducting military operations other than war overseas. Factors such as confrontations with pirates, special environments and long sailing times have resulted in mental health problems. However, the navy’s actual utilisation of mental health services is low. This study examined members’ rate of willingness to seek help and the factors that act as barriers to willingness to seek mental health services in the PLA Navy.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at the Zhoushan Base, operated by the East Sea Fleet, between March 2019 and April 2019. We distributed a 12-item questionnaire to examine participants’ attitudes and perceived barriers to mental healthcare. We recruited 676 navy personnel. Participants’ willingness to seek help if they had mental health problems was also assessed.ResultsThe response rate was 99%. A total of 88.44% of the sample reported being willing to seek help. Univariate analysis suggested that those not willing to seek help were more likely to agree with the items, ‘Mental healthcare does not work’ and ‘My unit leadership might treat me differently’ and all organisational barriers, and they were more likely to have concerns about ‘embarrassment’ and ‘being weak’ than those willing to seek help. After controlling for demographic characteristics, binary logistic regression analyses confirmed that a lack of knowledge regarding the location of mental health clinics and being perceived as weak were the main factors preventing participants’ willingness from seeking help.ConclusionsExtensive efforts to decrease organisational barriers and stigma towards mental healthcare should be a priority for researchers and policymakers to improve the usage of mental health services. Psychoeducation aimed at de-stigmatising mental health problems should be delivered and the accessibility and availability of mental health services should be increased.

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ObjectivesTo assess and evaluate the knowledge of Shanghai, China, residents on the use of SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection and rapid diagnostic self-test.MethodsA cross-sectional electronic survey using a self-administered questionnaire was sent via the online platform, Sojump, to general individuals. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the variables associated with knowledge of self-test.ResultsA total of 283 participants were recruited between July 1, 2022 and July 20, 2022 through an online survey. The mean score of knowledge on the tests was 14.33 ± 2.85 (out of 21). The questions concerning the depth of swab insertion and minimum number of swab rotations in the nostril, necessity of bilateral sampling, necessity of rotating and squeezing the swab for 10 times in the extraction buffer tube, and waiting time for the results showed the highest rate of incorrect responses. In the multiple regression analysis model, sex, social status, and source of information were associated with the knowledge on the self-test kits.ConclusionImmediate health education programs should be made available and the kits could be improved appropriately to ensure adequate knowledge. The use of technology should be fully leveraged to achieve accurate self-diagnosis and correct interpretation of the results.