Environmental Risk Factors and Their Different Effects in Depressive Symptoms of Left-Behind Children in Rural China Compared with Non-Left-Behind Children

Parental Migration and the Social and Mental Well-Being Challenges among Indonesian Left-Behind Children: A Qualitative Study

Parental labour migration, of either one or both parents, has been associated with various challenges among left-behind children (LBC). However, there is a limited understanding of the LBC's own views and experiences of social and mental well-being and how the new daily life circumstances they encounter following their parents' migration impact them. This study aimed to understand the influence of parental migration and its aftermath on the social and mental well-being of adolescents (referred to as LBC) in two rural districts in Indonesia. Employing a qualitative design, data were collected through individual in-depth interviews with LBC (n = 24) aged 14 to 18 years, recruited using the snowball sampling technique. Data were thematically analysed, guided by a qualitative data analysis framework. The findings showed that parental migration negatively impacted the social well-being of LBC. This impact was reflected in negative labelling from friends and changes in familial roles which influenced their social interactions and activities with peers. Parental migration was also associated with challenges to the mental well-being of LBC. These manifested in the LBC experiencing fractured emotional bonds, leading to negative emotions, including stress, anxiety, sadness, depression, frustration, loss of motivation, and self-imposed isolation, which were associated with their parents' migration and abrupt disruptions in parent-child communication. The transition to new life situations with caregivers after parental migration and the dynamics within the caregivers' households were additional factors that detrimentally affected their mental well-being. Unmet basic needs and educational needs due to financial hardships faced by mothers and caregivers further exacerbated mental health challenges for the children. The findings indicate the importance and improvement of policies and interventions in Indonesia (e.g., counselling services, non-cash food assistance, family hope program, direct cash assistance) that cover and address the diverse needs of mothers or caregivers and the LBC.

Stress events and stress symptoms in Chinese secondary school students: gender and academic year characteristics of the relationship

Objective

To explore the relationship between stress events and stress symptoms and their gender and academic year characteristics in Chinese secondary school students.

Methods

4,995 secondary school students were investigated by the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) and the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory (C-SOSI).

Results

First, there were significant differences in all dimensions and total scores of stress events and stress symptoms between boys and girls in secondary school and between junior high school students and senior high school students. Second, the dimensions and total scores of stress events in secondary school students are positively correlated with the dimensions and total scores of stress symptoms. Third, the influence of punishment on the stress symptoms of secondary school boys is the most obvious, and the influence of punishment, adaption, relationship stress, and learning stress on the stress symptoms of secondary school girls is the most obvious. The influence of punishment on the stress symptoms of junior high school students is the most obvious, and the influence of punishment and relationship on the stress symptoms of senior high school students is the most obvious.

Conclusion

Stress events and stress symptoms of Chinese secondary school students have significant differences in gender and academic year. The same stress event has different influence mechanisms on the stress symptoms of Chinese secondary school students of different genders and different academic years.

Temporal trend and subgroup disparities in the prevalence and treatment of those who screen positive for depression in China: A population-based study

Background

In China, improving mental health has been far behind its accomplishments for other diseases. With depression as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, the aim of this study was to evaluate temporal trends in the prevalence and treatment of those who screen positive for depression in China, by age, gender, and province.

Methods

We used data from three nationally representative sample surveys: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), and the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Depression was judged by the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Access to treatment was judged by two items: if respondents received any treatment like anti-depressants, or if respondents received counselling from a mental health professional. Survey-specific weighted regressions were fitted to estimate the temporal trend and subgroup disparities, and then pooled by meta-analysis.

Results

In total 168,887 respondents were investigated. The overall prevalence of China populations who screen positive for depression was 25.7% (95% CI 25.2-26.2) during 2016-2018, decreased from 32.2% (95% CI 31.6-32.8) during 2011-2012. The gender gap increased with age and had no significant improvement from 2011-2012 to 2016-2018. The prevalence of depression in developed areas is more likely to show a lower value and decreasing trend, while the prevalence in underdeveloped areas is more likely to show a higher value and increasing trend, from 2011-2012 to 2016-2018. The overall proportion of those who received any needed treatment or counselling from a mental health professional slightly increased from 2011 (0.5%, 95% CI 0.4-0.7) to 2018 (0.9%, 95% CI 0.7-1.2), and mainly occurred for older adults aged 75 and above.

Conclusion

The prevalence of those who screen positive for depression decreased by about 6.5% from 2011-2012 to 2016-2018 in China, but only tiny improvements were made in accessibility to mental health care. Corresponding disparities were identified in age, gender, and province.

Mediating roles of perceived social support and sense of security in the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction among left-behind children: A cross-sectional study

Objective

Life satisfaction is closely related to the quality of life. Previous studies showed that left-behind children have low life satisfaction levels due to their separation from their parents. Therefore, it is significant to explore the risk factors and protective factors of left-behind children's life satisfaction to improve their life quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the mediating roles of perceived social support and sense of security in the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction among left-behind children.

Methods

A survey was conducted on 281 left-behind children in rural Shandong, China using negative life events, perceived social support, a sense of security, and life satisfaction scales.

Results

Negative life events had a negative impact on life satisfaction (β = -0.34, p = 0.001). In addition, not only does social support mediate between negative life events and life satisfaction (β = -0.21, p = 0.001), but also in between, security (β = -0.05, p = 0.030). Moreover, social support and security act as a chain intermediary between negative life events and life satisfaction (β = -0.03, p = 0.010), with an indirect effect share of 4.76%.

Conclusion

Negative life events could directly or indirectly affect the life satisfaction of left-behind children through the chain-mediating effects of perceived social support or the sense of security alone. Perceived social support and the sense of security are two important targets for further improving the life satisfaction of LBC.

Multicenter analysis on the non-suicidal self-injury behaviors and related influencing factors-A case study of left-behind children in northeastern Sichuan

BACKGROUND

Few studies have been conducted focusing on the non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) incidence rate and influencing factors among left-behind children in northeastern Sichuan, China. In this study, we investigated the incidence rate of the NSSI behaviors, levels of anxiety and depression in left-behind children in northeastern Sichuan, and relevant sociodemographic factors.

METHODS

The NSSI behaviors were identified using the Ottawa Self-injury Inventory (Chinese version). Its incidence rate and related influencing factors were evaluated by Cluster sampling; the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) was adopted to assess the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.

RESULTS

A total of 9450 adolescents met the inclusion criteria, including 543 with NSSI behaviors, and the prevalence of NSSI was 5.7 %. There were 3596 left-behind children, and 243 of them had NSSI behaviors, the NSSI incidence in left-behind children was 6.8 %. There were 5854 non-left-behind children, and the NSSI incidence in non-left-behind children was 5.1 %. Left-behind children's NSSI behaviors were remarkably correlated with five risk factors: being female (OR = 2.411, 95%CI = 1.773-3.279), parents' divorce (OR = 1.742, 95%CI = 1.262-2.404), elder age (OR = 1.120, 95%CI = 1.028-1.219), severe depression (OR = 1.212, 95%CI = 1.148-1.281), and high anxiety (OR = 1.170, 95%CI = 1.093-1.251).

LIMITATIONS

This is a cross-sectional study, we cannot probe into the causality between NSSI behaviors and corresponding risk factors. Reporting and recalling biases may be unavoidable as questionnaires are performed by self-rating scales and retrospective reports.

CONCLUSION

The NSSI behaviors are common in left-behind children in northeastern Sichuan. This study proposes that prevention and intervention measures are necessary for the healthy growth of such children.

A prospective study of peer victimization and depressive symptoms among left-behind children in rural China: the mediating effect of stressful life events

BACKGROUND

The Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China reported that in 2018, 6.97 million left-behind children (LBC), children who live in rural areas away from their parents, were being cared for by grandparents, relatives, elder siblings, or often living alone. Their parents have migrated to cities for better income opportunities. While a number of studies have detailed elevated depressive symptoms among LBC, relatively little is known about the causes of poorer mental health in LBC.

METHODS

This study used longitudinal data to examine associations between peer victimization, stressful life events, and depressive symptom severity in LBC from four randomly-selected middle schools in Guizhou Province, China. A total of 862 children aged 11-18 years, with 472 LBC (54.76%) and 390 non-left-behind children (NLBC) (45.24%), were included in the analysis. T-test was used to compare the depressive symptoms, peer victimization, and stressful life events between LBC and NLBC at baseline and follow-up (6 months later). Multivariable linear regression models were used to examine the mediation effect of follow-up stressful life events on the relationship between baseline peer victimization and follow-up depressive symptoms among LBC.

RESULTS

Results suggested that LBC had higher peer victimization and stressful life events than NLBC (β = 1.28, p = 0.04), and peer victimization and stressful life events at baseline were associated with increased follow-up depressive symptoms among LBC (Peer victimization: β = 0.25, p < 0.0001; Stressful life events: β = 0.15, p < 0.001). Peer victimization affected depressive symptoms partially through stressful life events for female LBC and completely through stressful life events for male LBC, controlling for age, perceived socioeconomic status, and school.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the vulnerability of LBC exhibiting negative mental health outcomes as they were found to experience more peer victimization and feel more stressed when stressful life events happened, compared with NLBC. Results of this study suggested that protecting LBC from peer victimization experiences can potentially prevent LBC from experiencing an increased impact of other stressful life events, thus decreasing the likelihood of their depressive symptoms. Intervention design should consider the different mediating effects of stressful life events on the relationship between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among female and male LBC.

Association between urbanization and Internet addiction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Understanding the association between urbanization and Internet addiction is essential to the design and implementation of Internet addiction prevention measures in urban areas. This epidemiological review explores the urbanization-Internet addiction association and its potential underlying factors.

RECENT FINDINGS

Nine studies have reported that Internet addiction prevalence is higher in urban areas, but three studies have noted the opposite. Psychiatric disorders and stress are the most commonly mentioned factors underlying the association. The effects of urbanization on Internet availability, Internet cafes, online gaming, outdoor or interactive activities, and family regulation and monitoring have been suggested to lead to higher Internet addiction risk. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, obesity, sleep problems, and the migration of parents to urban areas in search of work have strengthened the effect of urbanization on Internet addiction.

SUMMARY

Early assessment and treatment provided by mental health services are crucial for mitigating the effect of urbanization on Internet addiction risk. Cities should be designed to provide adequate space for physical and interactive activities. To promote outdoor activities, air pollution, traffic congestion, and crime should be controlled. Prospective face-to-face studies involving analysis of data on pollution, traffic, and Internet addiction could provide evidence to elucidate the urbanization- Internet addiction association.