Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor
BackgroundDespite much attention paid to the mental health of left-behind children, there has not been sufficient research on whether and how left-behind experiences have long-term effects on adults among the general population. This paper aims to evaluate the long-term effects of left-behind experi...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.957324/full |
| _version_ | 1798003414367469568 |
|---|---|
| author | Yan Wang Shuai Yang Feng Wang Zhijun Liu |
| author_facet | Yan Wang Shuai Yang Feng Wang Zhijun Liu |
| author_sort | Yan Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundDespite much attention paid to the mental health of left-behind children, there has not been sufficient research on whether and how left-behind experiences have long-term effects on adults among the general population. This paper aims to evaluate the long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult psychological depression.MethodsBy using the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey in 2018 (CLDS 2018), we assessed depression by the Center for Epidemiological Studies, Depression Scale (CES-D) and used a cut-off score of 20 for detecting depression (Yes = 1, No = 0). The Binomial logistic regression was used to compare the odds ratio across groups. We used the KHB method in the mediation analysis, to measure the indirect effect of social trust on the relationship between left-behind experience and depression.ResultsThe rate of depression (χ2 = 17.94, p < 0.001) for the children who have left-behind experience (LBE) (10.87%) was higher than the children who have non-left-behind experience (N-LBE) (6.37%). The rate of social trust (χ2 = 27.51, p < 0.001) of LBE (65.70%) was lower than N-LBE (75.05%). Compared with the other three groups, left-behind experience occurred in preschool (OR = 2.07, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [1.45, 2.97]) was more likely to suffer from depression. The indirect effect of social trust (OR = 1.06, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.10]) is significantly on the relationship between LBE and psychological depression, with the total effect (OR = 1.71, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [1.27, 2.31]) and direct effect (OR = 1.62, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [1.20, 2.18]) are both significantly. The proportion of indirect effect in the total effect is 10.69%.ConclusionThe left-behind experience that occurred in childhood has a significantly negative effect on adult psychological depression, in which preschool left-behind experience played the most critical role. Social trust is the mediating factor associated with left-behind experience and psychological depression. To mitigate the long-term effects of the left-behind experience on psychological depression, parents need to be prudent about the decision-making of migration in the preschool stage of their children. and subsequent policies should strengthen social work targeting vulnerable youth groups especially those with left-behind experience at an early age in terms of their psychological depression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:07:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3dbee1d5e7f24c9093feeff183363f9e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T12:07:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-3dbee1d5e7f24c9093feeff183363f9e2022-12-22T04:24:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652022-09-011010.3389/fpubh.2022.957324957324Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factorYan Wang0Shuai Yang1Feng Wang2Zhijun Liu3Department of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Sociology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaBackgroundDespite much attention paid to the mental health of left-behind children, there has not been sufficient research on whether and how left-behind experiences have long-term effects on adults among the general population. This paper aims to evaluate the long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult psychological depression.MethodsBy using the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey in 2018 (CLDS 2018), we assessed depression by the Center for Epidemiological Studies, Depression Scale (CES-D) and used a cut-off score of 20 for detecting depression (Yes = 1, No = 0). The Binomial logistic regression was used to compare the odds ratio across groups. We used the KHB method in the mediation analysis, to measure the indirect effect of social trust on the relationship between left-behind experience and depression.ResultsThe rate of depression (χ2 = 17.94, p < 0.001) for the children who have left-behind experience (LBE) (10.87%) was higher than the children who have non-left-behind experience (N-LBE) (6.37%). The rate of social trust (χ2 = 27.51, p < 0.001) of LBE (65.70%) was lower than N-LBE (75.05%). Compared with the other three groups, left-behind experience occurred in preschool (OR = 2.07, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [1.45, 2.97]) was more likely to suffer from depression. The indirect effect of social trust (OR = 1.06, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.10]) is significantly on the relationship between LBE and psychological depression, with the total effect (OR = 1.71, p < 0.001, 95% CI = [1.27, 2.31]) and direct effect (OR = 1.62, p < 0.01, 95% CI = [1.20, 2.18]) are both significantly. The proportion of indirect effect in the total effect is 10.69%.ConclusionThe left-behind experience that occurred in childhood has a significantly negative effect on adult psychological depression, in which preschool left-behind experience played the most critical role. Social trust is the mediating factor associated with left-behind experience and psychological depression. To mitigate the long-term effects of the left-behind experience on psychological depression, parents need to be prudent about the decision-making of migration in the preschool stage of their children. and subsequent policies should strengthen social work targeting vulnerable youth groups especially those with left-behind experience at an early age in terms of their psychological depression.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.957324/fullleft-behind experiencelong-term effectsdepressionsocial trustadult |
| spellingShingle | Yan Wang Shuai Yang Feng Wang Zhijun Liu Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor Frontiers in Public Health left-behind experience long-term effects depression social trust adult |
| title | Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor |
| title_full | Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor |
| title_fullStr | Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor |
| title_short | Long-term effects of left-behind experience on adult depression: Social trust as mediating factor |
| title_sort | long term effects of left behind experience on adult depression social trust as mediating factor |
| topic | left-behind experience long-term effects depression social trust adult |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.957324/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yanwang longtermeffectsofleftbehindexperienceonadultdepressionsocialtrustasmediatingfactor AT shuaiyang longtermeffectsofleftbehindexperienceonadultdepressionsocialtrustasmediatingfactor AT fengwang longtermeffectsofleftbehindexperienceonadultdepressionsocialtrustasmediatingfactor AT zhijunliu longtermeffectsofleftbehindexperienceonadultdepressionsocialtrustasmediatingfactor |