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Adolescents left behind by migrating parents (LBAs) are a growing demographic in Romania, where economic migration is increasing. The lack of parental supervision is associated with emotional and behavioural challenges, but few studies have longitudinally examined mental health in LBAs versus non-LBAs. This study investigated predictors of depression and compared levels of depression and anxiety between these groups over a year. The participants were selected through purposive sampling from 944 Romanian adolescents aged 13-18 (45.6% LBAs) in Iasi. We used t-tests and hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. Mental health was assessed at two-time points, during which major depression, emotional difficulties, and perceived social support were evaluated. Results showed LBAs had significantly higher major depression levels at T2, with depression worsening over time in this group. Emotional difficulties predicted depression for both groups, while family support acted as a protective factor for LBAs. These findings emphasize the increased vulnerability of LBAs and suggest that school-based interventions and mental health programs could help address their unique challenges. This study provides important insights into the mental health consequences of parental migration among adolescents in Romania, a population that remains understudied in the European context. By comparing left-behind adolescents (LBAs) with their non-left-behind peers over a one-year period, the research highlights the heightened risk of major depression in LBAs and identifies emotional and behavioural difficulties as key predictors. The findings emphasize the protective role of family support and underscore the need for targeted school-based and community interventions. These results have significant implications for mental health policy and practice in regions affected by large-scale labour migration.

Objective This study examines the impact of parental migration on the psychological well‐being and development of left‐behind children (LBCs) in Zhejiang, China, within the broader context of the country's rural transformations and urban migration. It investigates how intellectual and relational engagement (RE), autonomy (AUT), competence (COM), and relatedness (RES) contribute to resilience (REL) and post‐traumatic growth (PTG) in these children, reflecting on the shift from viewing parental separation merely as a source of trauma to recognizing its potential to foster significant personal growth. Methods Utilizing a cross‐sectional design, the research was conducted in April and May 2023 with 1348 LBCs from a total sample of 4049 students inZhejiang. A two‐step random, stratified, cluster‐based sampling strategy was employed, and structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized relationships among the constructs. Results The statistical analysis demonstrated significant positive effects of intellectual engagement (IE), AUT, COM, and RE on both REL and PTG (p < .05 for all). IE strongly correlated with AUT (r = .68, p < .001) and COM (r = .71, p < .001), enhancing REL and facilitating PTG. Additionally, the presence of secure and consistent relationships was identified as crucial for maintaining psychological well‐being, with high correlation coefficients (r > .60) underscoring their importance. Notably, REL was found to moderate the relationships among RES, COM, and PTG, highlighting its critical role in the psychological adaptation of left‐behind children. Conclusion The study underscores the importance of nurturing intellectual and REs, AUT, and COM to enhance psychological REL and well‐being among LBAs. These elements are crucial for supporting the mental health and developmental needs of children facing the challenges of parental migration. The findings advocate for targeted interventions that can address the unique needs of this vulnerable population, emphasizing the potential for growth and adaptation despite adversities. This study employs a quantitative research methodology to provide empirical insights into the impacts of parental migration on the psychological well‐being and development of overseas Chinese left‐behind children.

Parental absence, a consequence of parents’ rural-to-urban migration, exerts negative influences on their left-behind adolescents in rural China. Existing studies are limited by their focus on the isolated developmental outcomes of left-behind adolescents and by a dearth of work focused on naturally occurring patterns of their developmental outcomes. The present study used a person-centered approach to identify adolescents’ adaptation profiles based on internalizing indicators (i.e., depressive symptoms, loneliness, subjective happiness, life satisfaction), externalizing indicators (i.e., rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, prosocial behavior) and academic achievement and to relate these profiles to left-behind status, characteristics of parent-adolescent separation and gender. The study included 2102 adolescents (Mage = 13.48 ± 1.10 years, 46.8% girls) in junior high schools in rural China. A latent profile analysis identified 3 profiles: an adequate adaptation profile, an internalizing problem profile and an externalizing problem profile. These profiles were linked to left-behind status, to characteristics of parent-adolescent separation (i.e., separation duration, interval of long-distance communication and face-to-face communication) and to gender. These findings provide significant implications for future research and the development of interventions.

Background Left-behind adolescents (LBAs) are adolescents aged 11–18 years who are separated from their parents and left behind in local cities by one or both parents for a period of more than 6 months. LBAs in rural areas are likely to engage in aggressive behavior, which can affect interpersonal relationships, reduce academic performance, and even lead to anxiety and depression. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the mediating effect of resilience and self-esteem on the relationship between negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural LBAs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural LBAs and how self-esteem and resilience mediate the association. Methods Using a stratified random sampling method, 1344 LBAs in Hunan Province of China were investigated. Information was collected by a self-designed sociodemographic questionnaire, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Resilience Scale Chinese Adolescent, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Aggression Scales to assess the psychology of LBAs. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects using bootstrap analysis. Results Negative life events were significantly related to self-esteem ( r  = − 0.338), resilience ( r  = − 0.359), and aggression ( r  = 0.441). Aggression was directly affected by self-esteem ( β  = − 0.44) and resilience ( β  = − 0.34). Negative life events were not only directly related to aggression ( β  = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.275 ~ 0.398) but also showed an indirect effect on aggression through self-esteem and resilience. The direct effect, total effect and indirect effect of negative life events on aggression through self-esteem and resilience were 0.3364, 0.4344 and 0.0980, respectively. The mediating effect of self-esteem and resilience accounted for 22.56% of the relationship between negative life events and aggression. Conclusions We found that self-esteem and resilience mediated most negative life events on aggression. It is imperative for educators and families to improve LBAs’ self-esteem and resilience to reduce the occurrence of aggression. Future intervention studies should be designed to strengthen self-esteem and resilience.

Background In China, adolescents are frequently left behind by their parents. A great deal of scientific evidence demonstrates considerable psychological and social impacts that negative life events may have on adolescents who are left behind. While a direct relationship between negative life events and psychological and social effects has been observed, indirect effects have yet to be examined. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the association between negative life events and positive social adjustment and how resilience and self-esteem mediate this association. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, and Sichuan in China. A questionnaire was distributed to 4716 left-behind adolescents in ten middle/high schools. We performed Bayesian estimations in structural equation modeling using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to test our hypotheses. Results Negative life events were significantly related to resilience ( r s  = − 0.402), self-esteem ( r s  = − 0.292), and positive social adjustment ( r s  = − 0.239). Positive social adjustment was directly affected by resilience ( β  = 0.639) and self-esteem ( β  = 0.448). Negative life events were not only directly related to positive social adjustment ( β  = − 0.187, 95% credible interval: − 0.233 ~ − 0.139), but also showed an indirect effect on positive social adjustment ( β  = − 0.541, 95% credible interval: − 0.583 ~ − 0.501) through resilience ( β  = − 0.370) and self-esteem ( β  = − 0.171). The total effect of negative life events on positive social adjustment was − 0.728, where 74.31% was mediated by resilience and self-esteem. The indirect effect of negative life events on positive social adjustment through resilience and self-esteem was 2.893 times more than the direct effect. Conclusions Resilience and self-esteem mediated most of the effect of negative life events on positive social adjustment. Interventions should be developed to improve the social adjustment of adolescents who are left behind, particularly the enhancement of resilience and self-esteem.

This study aims to examine the effects of three intervention approaches—Latin dance intervention alone, mindfulness intervention alone, and a combined mindfulness–Latin dance intervention—on social anxiety among left-behind adolescents in rural China. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 84 participants(age = 10.90 ± 3.05) assigned to four groups: a Latin dance-only group, a mindfulness-only group, a combined Latin dance and mindfulness group, and a control group. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. Social anxiety was assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at a 6-week follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Significant reductions in social anxiety were observed over time in all three intervention groups (F(3, 80) = 15.42, p  < 0.001), with no significant change in the control group ( p  > 0.05). The combined intervention group showed the greatest improvement, and treatment effects were maintained at follow-up. Combined intervention produced the most substantial and sustained reductions in social anxiety, whereas Latin dance led to rapid but less durable improvements and mindfulness yielded modest but stable effects. These findings suggest that integrating body-based and cognitive-emotional approaches may represent a superior strategy for enhancing both the effectiveness and maintenance of social anxiety interventions in left-behind adolescents.

Background Mobile phone dependence and mental health problems have become increasingly prominent among left-behind adolescents in China. In recent years, some studies have focused on the important role of parent–child relationship and psychological resilience. Therefore, this study aims to explore the multidimensional relationships among resilience, mental health, and mobile phone dependence among left-behind adolescents, and to assess the impact of parent–child conflict level on these relationships. Methods The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18), the Chinese version of the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), the Resilience Scale for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), and the Parent–Child Conflict Scale were used to investigate 2,100 left-behind adolescents in Sichuan Province, and R was run to make network analysis and network comparison. Results (1) A structurally stable network relationship exists between left-behind adolescents' resilience, mental health, and mobile phone dependence; (2) BSI3 (Anxiety) is the most important node of the network model, followed by MPAI1 (the inability to control cravings subscale); (3) MPAI1 (the inability to control cravings subscale) and RSCA4 (family support) are key to connect resilience, mental health, and smartphone addiction in the study sample; (4) There was a significant difference in the network structure between the high- and low-level groups of parent–child conflict, no significant difference in the global strength of the network, and a significant difference in the centrality of strength and the centrality of bridge strength. Conclusions Chinese left-behind adolescents' resilience and mental health, mobile phone dependence are both independent and interact with each other to some extent. Specifically, high centrality dimensions such as anxiety, the inability to control cravings, and family support can be prioritised for intervention in related treatments, or reducing parent–child conflict and enhancing resilience to mitigate mobile phone dependence among left-behind adolescents, thus improving their mental health.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived social support, self-esteem, and cyberbullying among rural left-behind adolescents. A cross-lagged analysis was conducted with a sample of 981 rural left-behind adolescents Jiangsu province and Sichuan province, who completed a questionnaire twice at 3-month intervals. The results indicated that: (1) Perceived social support at Time 1 positively and significantly predicted self-esteem at Time 2, while negatively and significantly predicting cyberbullying at Time 2; (2) Self-esteem at Time 1 did not significantly predict perceived social support and cyberbullying at Time 2; (3) Cyberbullying at Time 1 did not significantly and negatively predicted perceived social support at Time 2, and while negatively and significantly predicting self-esteem at Time 2; (4) Self-esteem plays a partial mediating role between perceived social support and cyberbullying. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms underlying the association between perceived social support and cyberbullying behaviors among rural adolescents, and also holds practical significance for intervention and prevention activities.

Suicide is prevalent among left-behind youth, a group that has yet to be thoroughly explored in terms of the developmental dynamics of their suicide risk and associated factors. This study adopted a person-centered approach to investigate the developmental trajectories of suicide risk among Chinese left-behind adolescents, along with multi-dimensional predictors. A total of 774 left-behind adolescents ( M age  = 13.60, 50.1% female) completed three surveys over a year, with six-month intervals. Result of Latent Class Growth Modeling identified three subgroups with distinct developmental trajectories: High Risk-Escalating (7.6% of participants started at the highest levels with a worsening trend), Risk-Holding (21.6% maintained a stable but risk level starting above the critical threshold), and Low Risk-Diminishing (70.8% started low and continued to decrease). Gender (being a female), increased levels of childhood maltreatment, psychological pain, and depression were risk factors for High Risk-Escalating and/or Risk-Holding trajectories, while increased sense of control and regulatory emotional self-efficacy played protective roles. The findings underscore the malignant developmental patterns of suicide risk among left-behind adolescents. The predictive factors play a crucial role in distinguishing and improving these developmental trajectories.

Adjustment difficulties of school students are common and their school adjustment has gained wide concern in recent years. Negative life events (NLEs) hope, and gratitude have been associated with school adjustment. However, the potential effect of NLEs on hope and gratitude and whether hope and gratitude mediate the association between NLEs and school adjustment among high students have not been studied. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between NLEs, hope and gratitude, and school adjustment in high school students in China. Additionally, the study aims to examine the mediating role of hope and gratitude in the association between NLEs and school adjustment. A total of 700 junior high school students in Guangxi Province (336 boys, 364 girls, M age = 15 years) completed the questionnaire. The results indicated significant mediating effects of hope and gratitude in the sequential positive association between NLEs and school adjustment. Furthermore, this study unraveled the complexity of the link between NLEs and school adjustment with the combination of hope and gratitude. The findings emphasized the importance of fostering hope and gratitude in left-behind adolescents to combat the negative consequences of NLEs. The study is also one of the first to investigate a serial mediation model to determine which NLEs influence Chinese left-behind adolescents’ school adjustment.