IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i10p5123-d552993.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Left-Behind Children, Parent-Child Communication and Psychological Resilience: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Chi Zhou

    (Medical School, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China)

  • Qiaohong Lv

    (Department of Health Education, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China)

  • Nancy Yang

    (Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA)

  • Feng Wang

    (School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, China)

Abstract

This study aims to examine the role of parental migration status and parent communication in the psychological and related behavioral status of left-behind children and their psychological resilience. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Anhui Province of China, and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 1992 teens using the Chinese version of the Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ). Compared with the never left-behind group, left behind children had relatively lower PACS, CD-RISC and SDQ scores. Absence of parents is related with poorer psychological resilience, while good parent communication is related with better psychological resilience. Better psychological resilience is related to fewer psychological problems regardless of parental migration status. Currently left-behind status demonstrated a negative influence on psychological resilience, while never left-behind status had a positive effect. Interventions are needed to enhance psychological resilience of left-behind children to prevent psychological and related behavioral problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Chi Zhou & Qiaohong Lv & Nancy Yang & Feng Wang, 2021. "Left-Behind Children, Parent-Child Communication and Psychological Resilience: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-10, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5123-:d:552993
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5123/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5123/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Liu, Z. & Li, X. & Ge, X., 2009. "Left too early: The effects of age at separation from parents on Chinese rural children's symptoms of anxiety and depression," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(11), pages 2049-2054.
    2. Wang, Feng & Lin, Leesa & Lu, Jingjing & Cai, Jingjing & Xu, Jiayao & Zhou, Xudong, 2020. "Mental health and substance use in urban left-behind children in China: A growing problem," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Piper Liping Liu & Louis Leung, 2017. "Migrant Parenting and Mobile Phone Use: Building Quality Relationships between Chinese Migrant Workers and their Left-behind Children," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(4), pages 925-946, December.
    4. Wen, Ming & Su, Shaobing & Li, Xiaoming & Lin, Danhua, 2015. "Positive youth development in rural China: The role of parental migration," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 261-269.
    5. Xu Tian & Caicui Ding & Chong Shen & Hui Wang, 2017. "Does Parental Migration Have Negative Impact on the Growth of Left-Behind Children?—New Evidence from Longitudinal Data in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-10, October.
    6. Hongwei Hu & Jiamin Gao & Haochen Jiang & Haixia Jiang & Shaoyun Guo & Kun Chen & Kaili Jin & Yingying Qi, 2018. "A Comparative Study of Behavior Problems among Left-Behind Children, Migrant Children and Local Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
    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. Chunhai Gao & Endale Tadesse & Sabika Khalid, 2022. "Word of Mouth from Left-Behind Children in Rural China: Exploring Their Psychological, Academic and Physical Well-being During COVID-19," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(5), pages 1719-1740, October.
    2. Ruifeng Tan & Huimin Fang & Suiqing Chen, 2023. "The Development of Emotion Understanding among Five- and Six-Year-Old Left-Behind Children in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-10, February.
    3. Xiaoou Man & Jiatong Liu & Yutong Bai, 2021. "The Influence of Discrepancies between Parents’ Educational Aspirations and Children’s Educational Expectations on Depressive Symptoms of Left-Behind Children in Rural China: The Mediating Role of Sel," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, November.

    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. Jing Luo & Jiaojiao Zou & Meimei Ji & Tong Yuan & Mei Sun & Qian Lin, 2019. "Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among 3- to 5-Year-Olds Left-Behind Children in Poor Rural Areas of Hunan Province: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Bart Cockx & Jinkai Li & Erga Luo, 2023. "The Long-Term Impact of Parental Migration on the Health of Young Left-Behind Children," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 2023019, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
    3. Li, Xin & Sun, Xiaoyue, 2020. "Child development in rural China: Does parental migration matter?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    4. Qiushi Zhou & Shaolingyun Guo & Hui Jing Lu, 2021. "Well-Being and Health of Children in Rural China: the Roles of Parental Absence, Economic Status, and Neighborhood Environment," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(5), pages 2023-2037, October.
    5. Duoduo Xu & Xiaogang Wu & Zhuoni Zhang & Jaap Dronkers, 2018. "Not a zero-sum game: Migration and child well-being in contemporary China," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(26), pages 691-726.
    6. Zheng, Xiaodong & Fang, Zuyi & Wang, Yajun & Fang, Xiangming, 2022. "When left-behind children become adults and parents: The long-term human capital consequences of parental absence in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Hongyu Guan & Huan Wang & Juerong Huang & Kang Du & Jin Zhao & Matthew Boswell & Yaojiang Shi & Mony Iyer & Scott Rozelle, 2018. "Health Seeking Behavior among Rural Left-Behind Children: Evidence from Shaanxi and Gansu Provinces in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-19, April.
    8. Liu, Han & Chang, Fang & Corn, Hannah & Zhang, Yi & Shi, Yaojiang, 2021. "The impact of parental migration on non-cognitive abilities of left behind children in northwestern China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    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. Weigang Pan & Baixue Gao & Yihong Long & Yue Teng & Tong Yue, 2021. "Effect of Caregivers’ Parenting Styles on the Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Left-Behind Children: The Parallel Mediating Role of Self-Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Xie, Xiaoxia & Huang, Chien-Chung & Chen, Yafan & Hao, Feng, 2019. "Intelligent robots and rural children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 283-290.
    12. 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.
    13. Wang, Feng & Lin, Leesa & Lu, Jingjing & Cai, Jingjing & Xu, Jiayao & Zhou, Xudong, 2020. "Mental health and substance use in urban left-behind children in China: A growing problem," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    14. Lijun Chen & Di Qi & Dali Yang, 2020. "The Urbanization Paradox: Parental Absence and Child Development in China - an Empirical Analysis Based on the China Family Panel Studies Survey," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 13(2), pages 593-608, April.
    15. Zhang, Xiaoqing & Ray, Sharon A. & Liu, Xia & Smith, Dylan M. & Hou, Wei, 2023. "What makes left-behind children resilient? And how? The role of hope on the resilience of Chinese left-behind children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    16. Xinxin Wang & Shidan Xu & Yubo Zhuo & Julian Chun-Chung Chow, 2023. "Higher Income but Lower Happiness with Left-Behind Experience? A Study of Long-Term Effects for China’s Migrants," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 411-434, February.
    17. Mayang Rizky & Sofni Indah Arifa Lubis & Nila Warda & Yudi Fajar M. Wahyu & Emmy Hermanus & Niken Kusumawardhani & Hafiz Arfyanto & Joseph Natanael Marshan & Nina Toyamah, "undated". "Kesentosaan Anak-Anak yang Hidup dalam Kemiskinan yang Ditinggal oleh Ibunya yang Menjadi Pekerja Migran: Studi Kasus di Dua Kabupaten di Indonesia," Working Papers 3794, Publications Department.
    18. Lu, Jingjing & Lin, Leesa & Roy, Brita & Riley, Carley & Wang, Emily & Wang, Karen & Li, Lu & Wang, Feng & Zhou, Xudong, 2020. "The impacts of parent-child communication on left-behind children’s mental health and suicidal ideation: A cross sectional study in Anhui," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    19. Wang, H. & Guan, H. & Boswell, M., 2018. "Health Seeking Behavior among Rural Left-behind Children: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 276955, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    20. Hafiz Arfyanto & Joseph Natanael Marshan & Nina Toyamah & Mayang Rizky & Sofni Indah Arifa Lubis & Nila Warda & Yudi Fajar M. Wahyu & Emmy Hermanus & Niken Kusumawardhani, "undated". "The Well-Being of Poor Children Left by Their Mothers Who Become Migrant Workers: Case Study in Two Kabupaten in Indonesia," Working Papers 1640, Publications Department.

    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:2021:i:10:p:5123-:d:552993. 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.