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International parental migration and the psychological well-being of children in Ghana, Nigeria, and Angola

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  • Mazzucato, Valentina
  • Cebotari, Victor
  • Veale, Angela
  • White, Allen
  • Grassi, Marzia
  • Vivet, Jeanne

Abstract

When parents migrate, leaving their children in the origin country, transnational families are formed. Transnational family studies on children who are “left behind” indicate that children suffer psychologically from parental migration. Many of the factors identified as affecting children's responses to parental migration however are not considered in child psychology and family sociology studies. This study aims to bridge these areas of knowledge by quantitatively investigating the association between transnational families and children's psychological well-being. It analyzes a survey conducted in three African countries in 2010–11 (Ghana N = 2760; Angola N = 2243; Nigeria N = 2168) amongst pupils of secondary schools. The study compares children in transnational families to those living with their parents in their country of origin. Children's psychological well-being is measured through the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses reveal that children in transnational families fare worse than their counterparts living with both parents but not in Ghana where living conditions mediate this relationship. This paper also looks at four characteristics of transnational families and finds that specific characteristics of transnational families and country contexts matter: (1) changing caregivers is associated with poorer well-being in all countries; (2) which parent migrates does not make a difference in Ghana, when mothers migrate and fathers are caregivers results in poorer well-being in Nigeria, and both mother's and father's migration result in worse outcomes in Angola; (3) the kin relationship of the caregiver is not associated with poorer well-being in Ghana and Nigeria but is in Angola; (4) children with parents who migrate internationally do not show different results than children whose parents migrate nationally in Ghana and Nigeria but in Angola international parental migration is associated with poorer psychological well-being. The study shows that broader characteristics in the population rather than parental migration per se are associated with decreased levels of well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Mazzucato, Valentina & Cebotari, Victor & Veale, Angela & White, Allen & Grassi, Marzia & Vivet, Jeanne, 2015. "International parental migration and the psychological well-being of children in Ghana, Nigeria, and Angola," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 215-224.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:132:y:2015:i:c:p:215-224
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.10.058
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Artjoms Ivlevs & Milena Nikolova & Carol Graham, 2019. "Emigration, remittances, and the subjective well-being of those staying behind," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 32(1), pages 113-151, January.
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    4. Darius Leskauskas & Virginija Adomaitienė & Giedrė Šeškevičienė & Eglė Čėsnaitė & Kastytis Šmigelskas, 2020. "Self-Reported Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Left-behind Children in Lithuania," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(4), pages 1203-1216, August.
    5. Roberta L. Woodgate & David Shiyokha Busolo, 2021. "African Refugee Youth’s Experiences of Navigating Different Cultures in Canada: A “Push and Pull” Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Fu, Yao & Jordan, Lucy P. & Zhou, Xiaochen & Chow, Cheng & Fang, Lue, 2023. "Longitudinal associations between parental migration and children's psychological well-being in Southeast Asia: The roles of caregivers' mental health and caregiving quality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 320(C).
    7. Khatia Antia & Johannes Boucsein & Andreas Deckert & Peter Dambach & Justina Račaitė & Genė Šurkienė & Thomas Jaenisch & Olaf Horstick & Volker Winkler, 2020. "Effects of International Labour Migration on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Left-Behind Children: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-17, June.
    8. Yao Fu & Jia Chen, 2022. "The Influence of Parental Migration on Left-behind Children’s Mental Health in China: the Mediating Roles of Daily Stress and Sense-Making," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2455-2477, October.
    9. Hechao Jiang & Taixiang Duan & Fang Wang, 2022. "The Effects of Parental Labor Migration on Children’s Mental Health in Rural China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2543-2562, October.
    10. Gény, Lydia Rosa & Platonova, Anna, 2017. "Women's empowerment and migration in the Caribbean," Studies and Perspectives – ECLAC Subregional Headquarters for The Caribbean 42491, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    11. Davis, Jason, 2018. "School enrollment effects in a South-South migration context," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 157-164.
    12. Feng Wang & Leesa Lin & Mingming Xu & Leah Li & Jingjing Lu & Xudong Zhou, 2019. "Mental Health among Left-Behind Children in Rural China in Relation to Parent-Child Communication," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-10, May.
    13. Arokkiaraj Heller & Archana Kaushik, 2020. "The Consequences of Husband’s International Migration on Family Left-Behind in Tamil Nadu, India," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1149-1163, December.
    14. Cebotari, Victor & Siegel, Melissa & Mazzucato, Valentina, 2016. "Migration and the education of children who stay behind in Moldova and Georgia," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 96-107.
    15. Victor Cebotari & Valentina Mazzucato & Melissa Siegel, 2017. "Gendered Perceptions of Migration Among Ghanaian Children in Transnational Care," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 10(4), pages 971-993, December.

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