OBJECTIVETo study the farmer-workers'stress, their mental health and the effect of stress on mental health.

METHODSThe Stressors Scale and SCL-90 were used for the test in a sample of 500 farmer-workers.

RESULTSThe primary mental stressors of the farmer-workers were economic burden, protection of their rights and interests and working condition & load. There was difference in the degree of stress among the age groups and the groups of the degree of education. Farmer-workers under 29 years old experienced the most mental stress, those between 30 years old and 39 years old experienced less, and those above 40 years old experienced the least mental stress. In the Interpersonal Relationship Stress Scale, the scores of those with senior middle school education or above were higher than those with junior middle school education or even illiterate. But the scores in all other stress scale and the total stress scores were different: the scores of those illiterate and those with senior middle school education or above, were higher than those with junior middle school education or lower. The mental health status of the farmer-workers was lower than the norm. The farmer-workers with at least one positive symptom factor accounted for 12.30% with the detectable rate of the factors of SCL-90 ranging from 1.9% to 6.5%. Most stressors could predict the mental health of the farmer-workers positively and remarkably.

CONCLUSIONSome farmer-workers have mental disorders. Mental stress plays an important role in the mental health of the farmer-workers.