scholarly journals Mental Health among Left-Behind Children in Rural China in Relation to Parent-Child Communication

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Wang ◽  
Leesa Lin ◽  
Mingming Xu ◽  
Leah Li ◽  
Jingjing Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Anhui Province ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Full Data ◽  
Parental Migration ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Parent Child Communication ◽  
Parent Child

In China, there are an estimated 41 million left-behind children (LBC). The objective of this study was to examine the mental health of current-left-behind children (current-LBC) and previous-left-behind children (previous-LBC) as compared to never-left-behind children (never-LBC), while considering factors like parent-child communication. Children were recruited from schools in rural areas of Anhui province in eastern China. Participants completed a questionnaire focusing on migration status, mental health, and parent-child communication, measured with the validated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Parent–Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS). Full data were available for 1251 current-, 473 previous-, and 268 never-LBC in Anhui province. After adjusting for all confounding variables, the results showed that both current and previous parental migration was associated with significantly higher mental health difficulties, including aspects of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, and total difficulties. Additionally, we found that difficulties communicating with parents were strongly associated with the presence of greater total difficulties in children. Parental migration has an independent, long-lasting negative effect on children. Poor parent-child communication is strongly associated with children’s mental health. These results indicate that parent–child communication is important for the development of children, and interventions are needed to improve migrant parents’ understanding and communication skills with their children.

scholarly journals Mental health and risk behaviors of children in rural China with different patterns of parental migration: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Wang ◽  
Jingjing Lu ◽  
Leesa Lin ◽  
Xudong Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Behaviors ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Full Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background One in seven members of China’s population are migrants. There are an estimated 41 million children left behind in rural areas who are living without one or both of their parents. The impact of two- and single-parent migration on child mental health and risk behaviors is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the mental health and risk behaviors among children whose parents are either both migrating (B-LBC), have one parent migrating (O-LBC) or those whose parents do not migrate (N-LBC). Methods This study was a cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire conducted in rural areas with high proportions of left behind children (LBC) in Anhui Province, southeast China. The tools used were the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires, Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the Young’s Internet Addiction Test for Chinese. Results Full data were available for 699 B-LBC, 552 O-LBC and 741 N-LBC. After adjusting for gender, age, grade, number of siblings and self-rated socio-economic status, B-LBC were significantly more likely to have higher emotional symptoms scores (B(SE) = 0.36(0.11), p < 0.01), higher hyperactivity scores (B(SE) = 0.22(0.11), p < 0.01) and higher total difficulties scores (B(SE) = 0.79(0.29), p < 0.01) than N-LBC. B-LBC were also more likely to be an addicted internet user (OR(95%CI) = 1.91(1.33, 2.76), p < 0.01) compared to N-LBC. However, there were no identified differences between O-LBC and N-LBC or between O-LBC and B-LBC in any measures. Conclusions Our findings found that living with one parent or both parents was associated with better mental health and fewer risk behaviors than was being separated from both parents. Future research is needed to consider the implications of these findings for policies and programs to protect LBC, especially for those with two migrating parents.

scholarly journals The Association of Parent-Child Communication With Internet Addiction in Left-Behind Children in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Cai ◽  
Yun Wang ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
Jingjing Lu ◽  
Lu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Parent Child Communication ◽  
Parent Child

Objective: Internet addiction has emerged as a growing concern worldwide. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of Internet addiction between left-behind children (LBC) and non-left-behind children (non-LBC), and explore the role of paternal and maternal parent-child communication on LBC.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in rural areas in Anhui, China. The complete data were available from 699 LBC and 740 non-LBC. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine 1) whether LBC were more likely to develop Internet addiction, and 2) the association between parent-child communication and Internet addiction among LBC.Results: LBC had a higher likelihood to report Internet addiction when compared to non-LBC (OR = 2.03, 95%CI = 1.43–2.88, p &lt; 0.001). Among LBC, parent-child communication (both mother-child and father-child) was protective factor for children’s Internet addiction. The role of mother-child communication played well among male LBC.Conclusions: The lack of parental supervision may lead to Internet addiction. It is highly recommended for migrant parents to improve the quality of communication with their children. Also, gender-matching effects should be considered in the relationship between children’s behavior and parental factors.

scholarly journals The Influence of Left-Behind Experience on College Students’ Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 1511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixia Liu ◽  
Zhongliang Zhou ◽  
Xiaojing Fan ◽  
Jiu Wang ◽  
Hongwei Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Eastern China ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Left Behind

China’s rapid development and urbanization have created large numbers of migrant laborers, with increasing numbers of young adults and couples migrating from rural areas to large cities. As a result, a large number of children have become left-behind children (LBC), who were left behind in their hometown and cared for by one parent, grandparents, relatives or friends. Some of these LBC have a chance to be college students, who are called college students with left-behind experience. Some studies have indicated that the absence of these college students’ parents during childhood may cause them to have some mental health problems. Therefore, we want to examine the effects of left-behind experience on college students’ mental health and compare the prevalence of mental health problems in left-behind students and control students (without left-behind experience). For this purpose, a cross-sectional comparative survey was conducted in a coastal city of Shandong province, Eastern China. First, 1605 college students from three universities (national admissions) were recruited, including 312 students with left-behind experience and 1293 controls. Their mental health level was measured using Symptom Check-list 90 (containing ten dimensions: somatization, obsessive-compulsion (OCD), interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, terror, paranoia, psychoticism, and other symptoms). The results showed that left-behind experience was a significant risk factor for the mental health problems of college students (OR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.73 to 2.97). A comparison of the two groups, after controlling the confounding factors using the coarsened exact matching (CEM) algorithm, showed that the prevalence of mental health problems was 35.69% (n = 311) among the left-behind students, while it was 19.68% (n = 1194) among the controls. The two groups were significantly different in terms of these ten dimensions of the SCL-90 scale (p < 0.001), and the prevalence of each dimension among the left-behind students was consistently higher than that among the controls. In addition, different left-behind experiences and social supports during childhood had different effects on mental health problems.

scholarly journals Chinese Adolescents’ Meaning-Focused Coping With Prolonged Parent-Child Separation

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 752-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yao Fu ◽  
Yik Wa Law
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Goal Commitment ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Parental Migration ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Work Meaning ◽  
Child Separation ◽  
Parent Child

In China, 61 million children are left behind in rural areas suffering from prolonged parent-child separation when their parents migrate for work. Meaning-focused coping is known to play a positive role in adaptation, particularly during persistent adversity, but little is known about how adolescents make meaning during prolonged parent-child separation. This qualitative study investigated how adolescents utilize meaning-focused coping during such separation. Seventeen adolescents who had been left behind ( Mage = 14.1 years, SD = 1.03 years) by migrant parents were recruited via purposive sampling. Eight subthemes emerged and were grouped into four themes: living with prolonged parent-child separation, ambivalent feelings, constructed meaning of parental migration, and meaning-making strategies. Despite detached parent-child relationships and weak family support, the adolescents made positive meaning of their parents’ migration by focusing on the migration-related benefits and maintaining goal commitment. Participants’ perceptions of left-behind life varied at different stages of their parental migration and their ability to make positive sense of migration increased with age. The role of culture was crucial in their meaning-making formulation. The results have application potential for psychosocial interventions targeting adolescents facing a prolonged left-behind period.

scholarly journals The association of parent-child communication with Internet addiction in left-behind children in China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Cai ◽  
Yun Wang ◽  
Feng Wang ◽  
Jingjing Lu ◽  
Xudong ZHOU ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internet Addiction ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Risky Behaviors ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Parent Child Communication ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Social Demographic ◽  
Parent Child

Abstract Background Long-term absence of parents has been proven to lead to negative health outcomes on left-behind children (LBC). We saw numerous studies that explored the association of parental absence with mental health and risky behaviors among LBC. Recently, Internet addiction has emerged as a growing concern, however, it was seldom studied among LBC community. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of Internet addiction between LBC and non-left-behind children (non-LBC), and explore the role of paternal and maternal parent-child communication on LBC. Methods We conducted a questionnaire survey in rural areas in Anhui, China, including the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale and Young’s Internet addiction Test. LBC who reported both migrating parents and children who lived with both non-migrating parents were included in this study. Results The complete data were available from 699 LBC and 740 non-LBC. After adjustment of social-demographic characteristics, the result indicated LBC had a higher likelihood to report internet-addiction when compared to non-LBC (OR = 2.03, 95%CI = 1.43–2.88, p < 0.001). Among LBC, parent-child communication (both mother-child and father-child) was protective factors for children’s Internet addiction. Also, the role of mother-child communication played well in preventing boys from Internet addiction. Conclusions Our findings suggested the lack of parental supervision may lead to Internet addiction. It is highly recommended for migrant parents to improve the quality of communication with their children. Also, gender-matching effects should be considered in the relationship between children’s behavior and parental factors.

scholarly journals On the Voluntary Mechanism of Spiritual Care for Left-behind Children in Rural Areas Based on the Resource Advantages of Universities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 117
Author(s):  
Cheng Fan ◽  
Qiushuo Shao
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Character Development ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Psychological Problems ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Positive Effect

The mental health and character development of left-behind children in rural areas has always received extensive attention from all walks of life. The psychological problems of left-behind children in rural areas are solved by the voluntary mechanism of spiritual care. Full use of the educational resources of colleges and universities has a positive effect on the development of all parties and has certain promotion value across the country.

scholarly journals Mental health and its influencing factors among left-behind children in South China: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu Zhang ◽  
Mengjie Li ◽  
Li Guo ◽  
Yanna Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Communication Frequency

Abstract Background With rapid development of China’s economy, there were over 68.7 million left-behind children (LBC) in China whose mental health has become a problem of public concern. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the status of mental health and its associated factors of LBC aged 3–16 years old in both rural and urban areas. Methods A total of 4187 children (aged 3–16), including 1471 LBC and 2716 non-left-behind children (NLBC), were recruited from 50 communities (22 in urban areas and 28 in rural areas) in Guangdong, China in August, 2014. The mental health problems were assessed using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results No statistically significant difference of SDQ subscales scores about difficulties were found between LBC and NLBC on the whole participants as well as in rural areas or in urban areas within the same age group after adjustments were made (all p > 0.05). However, compared with NLBC in the same areas, urban LBC tended to have higher prosocial behaviours scores, while rural LBC had the lowest prosocial behaviours scores not only in the whole age group but also in different age subgroups (p < 0.05). Besides, compared with urban LBC, rural LBC were not worse in SDQ subscales scores except for prosocial behaviour at 7–9 age group (p = 0.003). Furthermore, higher paternal educational level and longer duration of parental absence, were associated with less difficulties in both rural and urban LBC. Besides, shorter duration of talk per-time but higher communication frequency were associated with less difficulties in rural LBC. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that in general, no difference of mental health problems were found between LBC and NLBC. Besides, longer duration of parental absence, shorter duration of talk per time but more communication frequency, and higher paternal educational level tend to have better development of mental health. The findings reinforce the importance of the stability of caregivers and the effective parent-child communication for Chinese rural LBC.

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