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Parental Migration and Psychological Well-Being of Children in Rural China

Author

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  • Rui Chen

    (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

  • Li Zhou

    (College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China)

Abstract

This paper empirically analyzes the impact of parental migration on the psychological well-being of children using ordered probit models based on a survey conducted among 1680 primary school students and their parents in Majiang County, Guizhou Province, China in 2020. The findings are as follows. First, compared with having no migrant parents, having two migrant parents significantly reduces the psychological well-being of children and having one migrant parent has no significant effect. Second, mediation analysis shows that parental migration reduces child depression by increasing household absolute and relative incomes. It also increases depression and reduces the subjective happiness of children by reducing parental discipline. However, it has no significant impact on parent–child interactions. Third, by dividing the sample by absolute and relative poverty, we find that the effect of parental migration on the psychological well-being of children varies with household economic conditions. Comparatively speaking, children from poor households are more affected by parental migration in terms of depression, whereas children from non-poor households are more affected by parental migration in terms of subjective happiness. This paper examines the transmission mechanism between parental migration and the psychological well-being of children, provides a perspective of household economic conditions for child psychology and offers useful insights for family education and government policymaking in this area.

Suggested Citation

  • Rui Chen & Li Zhou, 2021. "Parental Migration and Psychological Well-Being of Children in Rural China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:15:p:8085-:d:605088
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Viet Nguyen, Cuong, 2016. "Does parental migration really benefit left-behind children? Comparative evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 230-239.
    2. Andrew E. Clark & Paul Frijters & Michael A. Shields, 2008. "Relative Income, Happiness, and Utility: An Explanation for the Easterlin Paradox and Other Puzzles," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 95-144, March.
    3. Li, Qiang & Liu, Gordon & Zang, Wenbin, 2015. "The health of left-behind children in rural China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 367-376.
    4. Takashi Oshio & Kayo Nozaki & Miki Kobayashi, 2011. "Relative Income and Happiness in Asia: Evidence from Nationwide Surveys in China, Japan, and Korea," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(3), pages 351-367, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Rudong Zhang & Yun Liang & Wenzhen Cao & Leixiao Zeng & Kun Tang, 2022. "Sex and Urban–Rural Differences in the Relationship between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Mental Health among Chinese College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-13, July.

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