Objective       To investigate the characteristics of mental quality in new recruits of field army unit.       Methods       Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Mental Quality Questionnaire for Army Men (MQQA) were employed to su

rvey 2 651 new recruits who joined the army in December 2012. And then an analysis was carried out on the characteristics of mental quality in these recruits.       Results       ①The total score and each factor score of mental qualities were significantly higher in these recruits than the soldiers norm’s (

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0.01);  ②The female soldiers obtained obviously higher score of loyalty of mental qualities than the males (

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0.05); ③ The mental qualities scores of the recruits showed an increasing trend with their age

with total scores and score of each dimension significantly higher in 19- to 25-year-old than in those of 17- to 19-year-old and 16- to 17-year-old (

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0.01). And the scores of those of 18- to 19-year-old were significantly higher than 16- to 17-year-old besides the score of braveness (

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0.05

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0.01);  ④The scores of mental qualities were increased as the educational level raised

with the scores of college and above degrees significantly higher than those of high school (secondary) group (

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0.01); Except brave scores

the high school (secondary) group had significantly higher total scores and score of each dimension than junior middle school and below group (

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0.05

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0.01);  ⑤The mental qualities of recruits who were raised in two-parent families were more robust than single-parent families (

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0.05);  ⑥Compared with recruits with other parenting patterns

the recruits who were raised in democratic families obtained highest mental qualities (

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0.05

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0.01); the recruits raised in coercive families obtained significantly higher mental quality scores than those in doting family (

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0.05

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0.01)

and obtained higher scores than recruits in laissez faire families on brave

self-confidence and also on the total scale (

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0.05). While laissez faire family mental qualities of the recruits from were significantly higher than doting family recruits on the frustration factor (

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0.05). ⑦The total score and each factor score of me

ntal qualities were higher in normal mental health group than abnormal mental health group (

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0.01).       Conclusion       As a whole

the cohort of new recruits have higher mental qualities

showing differences in gender

age

education

family structure and parenting pattern.