Mental health and psychosocial problems among Chinese left-behind children: A cross-sectional comparative study

• Published in: Journal of affective disorders Vol. 241; pp. 133 - 141
• Main Authors: Tang, Wanjie, Wang, Gang, Hu, Tao, Dai, Qian, Xu, Jiajun, Yang, Yanchun, Xu, Jiuping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-12-2018
• Subjects: Adolescent; Bullying - statistics & numerical data; Case-Control Studies; Child; Child, Abandoned - psychology; China - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Divorce - psychology; Female; Humans; LBC; Male; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Health; Panic symptoms; Prevalence; Psychological distress; School bullying; Self Concept; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transients and Migrants - psychology; China; Depression; LBC; Psychological distress; Panic symptoms; School bullying
• ISSN: 0165-0327; 1573-2517
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.017

•Our results indicate high risk of mental health problems among Chinese left-behind children (LBC)•Self-esteem and school bullying were more prevalent among LBC than among controls and increased risk of mental health problems.•Low self-esteem and depression in LBC increased with longer separation from parents.•Self-esteem and depression in LBC were worse of the adolescents cared by themselves or relatives than by single-parent or grandparents.•Female LBC may be at greater risk of panic symptoms than males.
Separation from migrant parents threatens the mental health of approximately 61 million left-behind children (LBC) in China. This study compared the prevalence of mental health and psychosocial problems between LBC and controls in Sichuan province, China.
We randomly recruited LBC and adolescents aged 12–16 years old from 16 rural high schools in 8 counties in Sichuan province. We compared frequency of school bullying, self-esteem, panic symptoms, depression and severe psychological distress(SPD) between LBC and controls from the same schools. These variables were assessed through face-to-face interviews and self-report questionnaires.
The prevalence of mental health problems was 43.4% among LBC(n = 1663) but 30.8% among controls(n = 1683), and the prevalence of specific psychological symptoms was also higher among LBC: SPD, 12.1% vs. 4.8%; panic, 32.4% vs. 22.1%; and depressive symptoms, 26.5% vs. 16.3%. Low self-esteem was more prevalent among LBC(26.6% vs. 18.2%) as was severe school bullying(18.5% vs. 11.3%). Among LBC, low self-esteem was associated with an increased risk of depression or SPD, and school bullying was a significant predictor of depression, panic symptoms and SPD. Low self-esteem and depression increased with longer separation from parents, and this risk was higher when the primary caregivers were LBC themselves or relatives compared to single parents or grandparents.
LBC misbehavior, such as internet addiction, smoking and drinking, may also explain our findings; these factors need to be explored in future studies.
Our results highlight the urgent need for school-based and targeted interventions for LBC to prevent negative mental health outcomes.