A Improved Statistical Model Analysis the Mental Health of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

Abstract

The mental health of rural-to-urban migrants in China is a critical issue. The aim of this study was to test the migrants' mental health. The findings drawn from this qualitative study of 769 migrants in Wuhan in 2012 based on the Bayesian structural equation model. Overall, the survey found that leisure plays the greatest positive role in migrants' mental health, as well as work, interpersonal relationships, and health status have a negative role in migrants' mental health. Thus, the government must set relevant regulations to help migrants establish a better life and work values to work energetically. China is an agricultural country, and farmers comprise more than 75% of the total population. A large number of farmers have poured into the cities over the past 30 years, which caused the rapid growth of the migrant population in China. The sixth census data released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that the number of migrants in China has reached 0.26 billion, which are the largest scale of labor migration in the history of mankind (CNBS, 2011). According to the National Bureau of Statistics, rural-to-urban migrants are those who migrate from the countryside to cities to seek more job opportunities and higher quality of life, but they have no permanent urban residency (CNBS, 2001). These migrants who migrated from rural to urban areas are affected by the limitations of the traditional urban-rural dual structure. Farmers can live and work in the cities, but they are not included in the city Hukou. Therefore, they are not included in the welfare and public distribution system of the city, and they do not enjoy the same treatment as the city residents in terms of labor and social security, health insurance, and children's education. They are the targets of social discrimination and are isolated in the edge of urban communities(Yang, Li, & Wang,2006; Wang et al., 2010; McGuire, Li, & Wang, 2009), causing their mental health to become a common issue of concern. The characteristics and demands of migrants have changed since China's 30-year economic reform. Young migrants occupy a large proportion of the total numbers (Liu,2007). This new generation of migrants usually aims for social mobility, with more prominent laddering migration characteristics. They are sensitive, self-recognized, and have a higher education level. They are different from their parents who are a tough breed and only pursue income. Young migrants aspire for a high quality of life and hope to enjoy the same social status as their peers in the cities. New factors may appear as migrants change in the 21 st century.