Abstract
Migrant children are at high risk for depression, though the exact mechanism is still unclear. This study investigated whether and how different stress mindsets (threat vs. challenge) and coping strategies (avoidant vs. approach) mediated the association between stressful experiences and depression in migrant children, and whether these relationships would be moderated by gender. One hundred and ninety-eight rural-to-urban migrant children (56.0% girls; Mage = 11.8 years) in Beijing, China, completed self-administered measures of stressful experiences, threat and challenge mindsets, coping strategies, and depression. Path analysis was conducted to examine the proposed mediation model. A dual-pathway model of stress coping was discovered: (1) a stress-threat-avoidance-depression pathway, in which threat mindset and avoidant coping mediated the association between stressful experiences and depression, and (2) a challenge-approach-enhancement pathway, in which approach coping mediated the association between challenge mindset and fewer depressive symptoms, without being influenced by stressful experiences. The dual-pathway mechanism did not vary by gender, and it can explain the greater vulnerability of girls to depression. Together, findings suggest that stressful events, threat mindset, and avoidant coping act as risk factors for depression, whereas challenge mindset and approach coping can function as protective factors to counteract the impacts of stressful experiences and promote psychological well-being among migrant children.
Highlights
Migration, a change in the location of residence for better living conditions, has been a universal phenomenon (Bhugra, 2004)
To fill the gap in understanding the mechanism by which stressful experiences influence depression in migrant children, the current study examined whether threat and challenge mindsets work with approach and avoidant coping strategies to mediate the association between stressful experiences and depression, and whether gender moderates any path in the mediation model
Depression was positively associated with self-reported stressful experiences, threat mindset, and avoidant coping, and it was negatively associated with challenge mindset and approach coping
Summary
A change in the location of residence for better living conditions, has been a universal phenomenon (Bhugra, 2004). The number of primary school-aged migrant children in Beijing was estimated to be approximately 366,000, comprising about 44.6% of all the primary school students in this city, according to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics and NBS Survey Office in Beijing (2015). Compared with typically developing children in China, rural-to-urban migrant children experienced more stressful life events in education, health care, and adaption (Wen and Lin, 2012), and they were at higher risk of depression (Hu et al, 2014; Wang and Mesman, 2015). One’s interpretation of stress and the selection of coping strategies mediate the association between the experiences of stressful events and depression (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984, 1987; Lazarus, 1991, 2006), it is unclear whether it is the same case for rural-to-urban migrant children in China. It is necessary to investigate whether the association between stressful experiences and depression among migrant children would be mediated by stress interpretation and stress coping, and if any, what factors may moderate the mechanism
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