IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2020i1p197-d470070.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mental Health Issues among Caregivers of Young Children in Rural China: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Links to Child Developmental Outcomes

Author

Listed:
  • Siqi Zhang

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

  • Lei Wang

    (International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

  • Yue Xian

    (International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an 710119, China)

  • Yu Bai

    (School of Economics, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
    China Institute for Vitalizing Border Areas and Enriching the People, Beijing 100081, China)

Abstract

Previous research has found that there are high rates of mental health problems among caregivers in rural China and that caregiver mental health may be a significant predictor of developmental delays among infants and toddlers in these rural areas. In this paper, we use data from a survey of 986 caregiver-child pairs in rural China to examine the risk factors of caregiver mental health and measure the association between caregiver mental health and child development outcomes. To conduct the empirical analysis, we assess caregiver mental health using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire and measure child developmental outcomes using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Developmental Third Edition (Bayley-III). The results show that 32% of caregivers have depressive symptoms, 42% have anxiety symptoms, and 30% have symptoms of stress. The data also demonstrate that caregiver identity and age as well as different measures of socioeconomic status (SES) (characterized by caregiver education, father’s education, and household wealth) are all significantly linked to symptoms of caregiver mental health problems. The analysis shows that caregiver depression, anxiety, and/or stress are significantly associated with lower early childhood development (ECD) outcomes in all areas measured (cognition, language, social-emotion, and motor skills). The heterogeneous analysis demonstrates that there are differences in the effects of caregiver mental health problems on ECD among households are from families that are endowed with different levels of SES. On the basis of the findings the study concludes that policymakers should pay more attention to caregiver mental health problems in order to improve child developmental outcomes in rural China. The study cannot, however, draw casual conclusions and cannot rule out the possibility of recall bias when measuring caregiver mental health, which may limit the external validity of the findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Siqi Zhang & Lei Wang & Yue Xian & Yu Bai, 2020. "Mental Health Issues among Caregivers of Young Children in Rural China: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Links to Child Developmental Outcomes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-19, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2020:i:1:p:197-:d:470070
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/1/197/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/1/197/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman, 2009. "The Economics and Psychology of Inequality and Human DEvelopment," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 7(2-3), pages 320-364, 04-05.
    2. Orazio Attanasio & Sarah Cattan & Emla Fitzsimons & Costas Meghir & Marta Rubio-Codina, 2020. "Estimating the Production Function for Human Capital: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Colombia," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 110(1), pages 48-85, January.
    3. Siqi Zhang & Ruirui Dang & Ning Yang & Yu Bai & Lei Wang & Cody Abbey & Scott Rozelle, 2018. "Effect of Caregiver’s Mental Health on Early Childhood Development across Different Rural Communities in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, October.
    4. Heckman, James J. & Moon, Seong Hyeok & Pinto, Rodrigo & Savelyev, Peter A. & Yavitz, Adam, 2010. "The rate of return to the HighScope Perry Preschool Program," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(1-2), pages 114-128, February.
    5. Tan, Chang & Zhao, Chunxia & Dou, Yan & Duan, Xiaoqian & Shi, Huifeng & Wang, Xiaoli & Huang, Xiaona & Zhang, Jingxu, 2020. "Caregivers’ depressive symptoms and social–emotional development of left-behind children under 3 years old in poor rural China: The mediating role of home environment," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    6. Wang, Lei & Liang, Wilson & Zhang, Siqi & Jonsson, Laura & Li, Mengjie & Yu, Cordelia & Sun, Yonglei & Ma, Qingrui & Bai, Yu & Abbey, Cody & Luo, Renfu & Yue, Ai & Rozelle, Scott, 2019. "Are infant/toddler developmental delays a problem across rural China?," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 458-469.
    7. He, Yang & Liu, Chengfang & Chen, Yanggeng & Huang, Jie & Luo, Renfu, 2020. "Intergenerational transmission of parenting style in rural China and the mediation effect of Caregiver’s mental health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    8. Jingdong Zhong & Yang He & Jingjing Gao & Tianyi Wang & Renfu Luo, 2020. "Parenting Knowledge, Parental Investments, and Early Childhood Development in Rural Households in Western China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-11, April.
    9. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman, 2009. "The Economics & Psychology of Inequality and Human Development," Working Papers 200905, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Huan Wang & Claire Cousineau & Yuwei Adeline Hu & Grace Hu & Sunny Qi & Adrian Sun & Helen Wu & Scott Rozelle & Manpreet Singh, 2021. "Examining the Relation between Caregiver Mental Health and Student Outcomes in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Yu Bai & Reyila Abulitifu & Dan Wang, 2022. "Impact of an Early Childhood Development Intervention on the Mental Health of Female Caregivers: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-30, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sylvia, Sean & Luo, Renfu & Zhong, Jingdong & Dill, Sarah-Eve & Medina, Alexis & Rozelle, Scott, 2022. "Passive versus active service delivery: Comparing the effects of two parenting interventions on early cognitive development in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    2. Xiong, Xianfang & Deng, Lanfang & Li, Hongyi, 2020. "Is winning at the start important: Early childhood family cognitive stimulation and child development," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    3. James J. Heckman & Stefano Mosso, 2014. "The Economics of Human Development and Social Mobility," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 689-733, August.
    4. Heckman, James J., 2011. "Integrating Personality Psychology into Economics," IZA Discussion Papers 5950, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Wisuwat Chujan & Weerachart T. Kilenthong, 2019. "Short-term Impact of an Early Childhood Curriculum Intervention in Rural Thailand," Working Papers 2019-077, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    6. James J. Heckman & Chase O. Corbin, 2016. "Capabilities and Skills," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 342-359, July.
    7. Yu Bai & Reyila Abulitifu & Dan Wang, 2022. "Impact of an Early Childhood Development Intervention on the Mental Health of Female Caregivers: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-30, September.
    8. Ao, Xiang & Chen, Xuan & Zhao, Zhong, 2022. "Is care by grandparents or parents better for children's non-cognitive skills? Evidence on locus of control from China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    9. Kautz, Tim & Heckman, James J. & Diris, Ron & ter Weel, Bas & Borghans, Lex, 2014. "Fostering and Measuring Skills: Improving Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills to Promote Lifetime Success," IZA Discussion Papers 8696, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Rui Li & Nathan Rose & Yi Ming Zheng & Yunwei Chen & Sean Sylvia & Henry Wilson-Smith & Alexis Medina & Sarah-Eve Dill & Scott Rozelle, 2021. "Early Childhood Reading in Rural China and Obstacles to Caregiver Investment in Young Children: A Mixed-Methods Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-27, February.
    11. Heckman, James J. & Raut, Lakshmi K., 2016. "Intergenerational long-term effects of preschool-structural estimates from a discrete dynamic programming model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 191(1), pages 164-175.
    12. Flavio Cunha & James J. Heckman & Susanne M. Schennach, 2010. "Estimating the Technology of Cognitive and Noncognitive Skill Formation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 78(3), pages 883-931, May.
    13. James Heckman & Tim Kautz, 2013. "Fostering and Measuring Skills: Interventions That Improve Character and Cognition," Working Papers 2013-019, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    14. Georg F. Camehl & C. Katharina Spieß & Kurt Hahlweg, 2019. "Short- and Mid-Term Effects of a Parenting Program on Maternal Well-Being: Evidence for More and Less Advantaged Mothers," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1062, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    15. Wang, Lei & Jiang, Dingjing & Zhang, Siqi & Rozelle, Scott, 2024. "Caregivers’ parenting beliefs, practices, and child developmental outcomes: Evidence from randomized controlled trials in rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    16. Pugno, Maurizio, 2013. "Scitovsky and the income-happiness paradox," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 1-10.
    17. Camehl, Georg & Hahlweg, Kurt & Spieß, C. Katharina, 2018. "The Effects of a Parenting Program on Maternal Well-Being: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial," VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy 181583, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    18. Yiwei Qian & Yi Ming Zheng & Sarah-Eve Dill & Scott Rozelle, 2020. "Correlates of participation in community-based interventions: Evidence from a parenting program in rural China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, September.
    19. Lei Wang & Conghong Yang & Dingjing Jiang & Siqi Zhang & Qi Jiang & Scott Rozelle, 2022. "Impact of Parental Beliefs on Child Developmental Outcomes: A Quasi-Experiment in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-16, June.
    20. John F Tomer, 2014. "Adverse Childhood Experiences, Poverty, and Inequality : Toward an Understanding of the Connections and the Cures," World Economic Review, World Economics Association, vol. 2014(3), pages 1-20, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2020:i:1:p:197-:d:470070. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.