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The Effect of Boarding on the Mental Health of Primary School Students in Western Rural China

Author

Listed:
  • Bin Tang

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

  • Yue Wang

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
    School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Yujuan Gao

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China
    Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA)

  • Shijin Wu

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

  • Haoyang Li

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

  • Yang Chen

    (School of Foreign Studies, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710061, China)

  • Yaojiang Shi

    (Center for Experimental Economics in Education (CEEE), Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

Abstract

Based on the panel data of 20,594 fourth- and fifth-grade students in the western provinces A and B in China, this paper analyzed the effect of boarding at school on the mental health of students using a combination of the propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID) methods. The results showed that boarding had no significant effect on the mental health of students, but the tendency of loneliness among boarding school students was increased. Heterogeneity analysis found that fifth-grade students whose parents had both left home to work were more likely to have poorer mental health when boarding. This paper has essential policy significance for guiding rural primary schools to improve the mental health of boarding school students, especially left-behind children.

Suggested Citation

  • Bin Tang & Yue Wang & Yujuan Gao & Shijin Wu & Haoyang Li & Yang Chen & Yaojiang Shi, 2020. "The Effect of Boarding on the Mental Health of Primary School Students in Western Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-17, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:21:p:8200-:d:440921
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    References listed on IDEAS

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