Mental Health among Left-Behind Children in Rural China in Relation to Parent-Child Communication

• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16101855
• Publication Date: 2019-05-27T03:07:27Z
• Authors: Feng Wang; Leesa Lin; Mingming Xu; Leah Li; Jingjing Lu; Xudong Zhou
• Keywords: Male; Rural Population; Transients and Migrants; China; Adolescent; Communication; 4. Education; migration; Child, Abandoned; parent-child communication; Article; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Mental Health; 0302 clinical medicine; left-behind children; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; Female; Parent-Child Relations; Child; mental health

In China, there are an estimated 41 million left-behind children (LBC). The objective of this study was to examine the mental health current-left-behind (current-LBC) and previous-left-behind (previous-LBC) as compared never-left-behind (never-LBC), while considering factors like parent-child communication. Children were recruited from schools in rural areas Anhui province eastern China. Participants completed a questionnaire focusing on migration status, health, communication, measured with validated Strengths Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Parent–Adolescent Communication Scale (PACS). Full data available for 1251 current-, 473 previous-, 268 never-LBC province. After adjusting all confounding variables, results showed that both current previous parental associated significantly higher difficulties, including aspects emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, total difficulties. Additionally, we found difficulties communicating parents strongly presence greater children. Parental has independent, long-lasting negative effect Poor communication is children’s health. These indicate parent–child important development children, interventions needed improve migrant parents’ understanding skills their