IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ariqol/v17y2022i5d10.1007_s11482-021-09983-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Influence of Parental Migration on Left-behind Children’s Mental Health in China: the Mediating Roles of Daily Stress and Sense-Making

Author

Listed:
  • Yao Fu

    (The University of Hong Kong)

  • Jia Chen

    (Shanghai University)

Abstract

Despite growing attention to health impacts of parental migration on children left behind, little is known about the mechanism through which parental migration may affect children’s mental health. This study examined how various parental migration experiences — namely, migration history, paternal migration, maternal migration, or both parents’ migration — are associated with children’s mental health. Moreover, we adopted a stress-and-coping model to examine the mediating roles of daily stress and sense-making in the association between parental migration and children’s mental health. Using a multi-stage probability strategy, the sample included 1907 students with a mean age of 13.66 in Western China. Results showed that children with both parents having migrated had increased risk of being depressive, and children with a migrant father were less likely to have flourishing mental health compared with children whose parents had no migration history. Left-behind children’s vulnerability towards poor mental health could be explained by increased levels of daily stress. Sense-making could mediate the negative impacts of daily stress on mental health outcomes. Social services are required to promote left-behind children’s mental health, with a focus on reducing daily stress and enhancing children’s coping capabilities.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ariqol:v:17:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s11482-021-09983-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11482-021-09983-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11482-021-09983-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11482-021-09983-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Du, Yang & Park, Albert & Wang, Sangui, 2005. "Migration and rural poverty in China," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 688-709, December.
    2. Adams, Richard Jr. & Page, John, 2005. "Do international migration and remittances reduce poverty in developing countries?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1645-1669, October.
    3. Matthew DeBell, 2008. "Children Living Without Their Fathers: Population Estimates and Indicators of Educational Well-being," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 87(3), pages 427-443, July.
    4. Mi Zhou & Guangsheng Zhang & Scott Rozelle & Kaleigh Kenny & Hao Xue, 2018. "Depressive Symptoms of Chinese Children: Prevalence and Correlated Factors among Subgroups," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-10, February.
    5. Dreby, Joanna, 2015. "U.S. immigration policy and family separation: The consequences for children's well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 245-251.
    6. Keyes, C.L.M. & Simoes, E.J., 2012. "To flourish or not: Positive mental health and all-cause mortality," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 102(11), pages 2164-2172.
    7. Folkman, Susan, 1997. "Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1207-1221, October.
    8. 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.
    9. Minhui Zhou & Rachel Murphy & Ran Tao, 2014. "Effects of Parents' Migration on the Education of Children Left Behind in Rural China," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 40(2), pages 273-292, June.
    10. Daniel Shek, 2005. "A Longitudinal Study of Chinese Cultural Beliefs About Adversity, Psychological Well-Being, Delinquency And Substance Abuse in Chinese Adolescents With Economic Disadvantage," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 71(1), pages 385-409, March.
    11. Zhu, Xiaoqin & Shek, Daniel T.L., 2020. "Impact of a positive youth development program on junior high school students in mainland China: A pioneer study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    12. Zheng Zhou & Daniel T.L. Shek & Xiaoqin Zhu & Diya Dou, 2020. "Positive Youth Development and Adolescent Depression: A Longitudinal Study Based on Mainland Chinese High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-15, June.
    13. Zhang, Huafeng, 2017. "Opportunity or new poverty trap: Rural-urban education disparity and internal migration in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 112-124.
    14. Daniel T. L. Shek & Lu-Yin Liang, 2018. "Psychosocial Factors Influencing Individual Well-Being in Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong: a Six-Year Longitudinal Study," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(3), pages 561-584, September.
    15. Schmeer, Kammi, 2009. "Father absence due to migration and child illness in rural Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 1281-1286, October.
    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. 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).

    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. 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.
    2. Tang, Zequn & Wang, Ning, 2021. "School disruption of children in China: The influence of parents’ rural–urban migration," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    3. Wang, Wenlue & Ren, Qian & Yu, Jin, 2018. "Impact of the ecological resettlement program on participating decision and poverty reduction in southern Shaanxi, China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 1-9.
    4. Qiu, Hui & Liang, Xiao & Sun, Dan, 2024. "Parental migration, sibling migration, and the educational outcomes of children left behind in rural China," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    5. Diya Dou & Daniel T. L. Shek, 2021. "Concurrent and Longitudinal Relationships between Positive Youth Development Attributes and Adolescent Internet Addiction Symptoms in Chinese Mainland High School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-20, February.
    6. Xiaoxia Xie & Yafan Chen & Shannon Cheung & Chien-Chung Huang, 2022. "Social Innovation and Health-Related Well-Being of Left-Behind Children: Evidence from an Intelligent Robot Project in China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2597-2617, October.
    7. Michael Lokshin & Mikhail Bontch‐Osmolovski & Elena Glinskaya, 2010. "Work‐Related Migration and Poverty Reduction in Nepal," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 323-332, May.
    8. Daniel Tan Lei Shek & Kim Hung Leung & Diya Dou & Xiaoqin Zhu, 2022. "Impact of Family Functioning on Adolescent Materialism and Egocentrism in Mainland China: Positive Youth Development Attributes as a Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-20, September.
    9. Hayot Berk Saydaliev & Lee Chin, 2023. "The necessity of social infrastructure for enhancing educational attainment: evidence from high remittance recipient LMICs," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1823-1847, June.
    10. 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.
    11. Iddisah Sulemana & Louis Doabil & Ebenezer Bugri Anarfo, 2019. "International Remittances and Subjective Wellbeing in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Micro-level Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 524-539, September.
    12. Daniel T. L. Shek & Diya Dou & Xiaoqin Zhu & Xiang Li & Lindan Tan, 2022. "Materialism, Egocentrism and Delinquent Behavior in Chinese Adolescents in Mainland China: A Short-Term Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    13. 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.
    14. Davis, Jason, 2018. "School enrollment effects in a South-South migration context," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 157-164.
    15. Kunjie Cui & Han Xie, 2022. "Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Sources of Resilience: Mechanisms of the Relationship Between Bullying Victimization and Mental Health Among Migrant Children in China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 17(5), pages 2479-2497, October.
    16. Jiantao Zhou & Eddie Chi‐Man Hui, 2022. "The hukou system and selective internal migration in China," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(2), pages 461-482, April.
    17. Chang, Hongqin & Dong, Xiao-yuan & MacPhail, Fiona, 2011. "Labor Migration and Time Use Patterns of the Left-behind Children and Elderly in Rural China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2199-2210.
    18. Yao Pan & Jessica Leight, 2021. "Educational Responses to Migration-Augmented Export Shocks: Evidence from China," Working Papers 2021-14, The George Washington University, Institute for International Economic Policy.
    19. Fethiye Tilbe, 2019. "Remittances and Social Policy: Reflecting on The Migration Conference 2019," Remittances Review, Remittances Review, vol. 4(2), pages 165-180, October.
    20. Furqan Sikandar & Vasilii Erokhin & Hongshu Wang & Shafiqur Rehman & Anna Ivolga, 2021. "The Impact of Foreign Capital Inflows on Agriculture Development and Poverty Reduction: Panel Data Analysis for Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-22, March.

    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:spr:ariqol:v:17:y:2022:i:5:d:10.1007_s11482-021-09983-x. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.