SynthesisPediatric research2025
Urbanisation and mental health in left-behind children: systematic review and meta-analysis using resilience framework.
Synthesis in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed.
- The interplay between mental health, ecological factors, and problematic smartphone use: a network analysis in adolescents with major depressive disorder.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Article
- Intergenerational Coparenting Across Physical Distance: Grandparenting Styles, Parental Remote Parenting, and Mental Health Among Left-Behind Children in China.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Parental psychological control and depression from late childhood to early adolescence: a four-wave longitudinal study of emotional resilience and gender differences.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Bullying victimization and depressive symptoms among left-behind children: a moderated mediation model involving Internet Addiction.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- External assets and psychosocial adaptation in left-behind children: stress mindset as mediator and environmental sensitivity as moderator.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Effect of physical exercise on mental health risks among Chinese left-behind children: chained mediating roles of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and psychological sense of school membership.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Analysis of the gender-specific risk factors of social anxiety among left-behind middle school students in Deyang.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Supporting the behavioral health of rural left-behind children through rural education: a multi-dimensional demands-driven strategy study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Environmental Risk Factors of Conduct Disorder: An Overview of Meta-Analyses.Iranian journal of psychiatry · 2025Review
- Perceived discrimination and subjective well-being of left-behind children: social support and psychological resilience as mediators.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- The effect of empathy intervention and VR exergames on social anxiety in left-behind children.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundProlonged parental separation at young ages has significant adverse effects on development in left-behind-children (LBC). We aimed to compare mental health status, emotional and behavioural problems, and their association with socioemotional development between LBC and their counterparts.
methodsCross-sectional studies comparing LBC and non-LBC published from 2000 onwards were searched. Primary outcomes included depression, anxiety emotional and behavioural problems. Secondary outcomes included loneliness, self-harm, suicide, and risk-related behaviours. Quality of all included articles was assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal. Data was analyzed by random model-based effect method.
results78 observational studies comprising of 394,308 children aged 2-18 were included. Compared to NLBC, LBC had significantly more depression, anxiety, emotional and behavioural problems, conduct problems, self-harm, loneliness, peer bullying, attempts of smoking and alcohol consumption. Subgroup analyses found that younger LBC between the ages of 6 to 12 were at greater risks of poor mental health, emotional and behavioural problems.
conclusionAbsent parental care prevents healthy socio-emotional development and hinder the formation of secure attachment. Poor social-emotional development leads to worse emotional resilience against psychological stressors, while LBC residing in rural areas also experience additional risk factors of low household income and poor access to mental health services. IMPACT STATEMENT: Prolonged parental separation negatively influences mental health, especially in younger children between the ages 6 to 12. Poor social-emotional development in left-behind children is associated with worse emotional resilience against psychological stressors. Additional risk factors including residing in rural areas, low household income, and poor access to mental health services predisposes left-behind children to high risks of mental illness. Timely support services targeted towards strengthening resilience factor such as learning better emotional and behavioural coping strategies and improving school and peer support to address increased risk of mental health problems are required for current left-behind children.
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