Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist Research Articles

Moderated serial mediation effects of adaptation problems, academic stress, and interpersonal relationships on the sleep quality of early-year university students

PurposeDue to heightened anxiety levels, sleep disorders become more prevalent among university students. This study, centered on adaptive capacity in early-year university students, aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms through which anxiety affects sleep quality.MethodsBetween February 2023 and June 2023, a cohort of first- and second-year university students (mean age 18.8 years) from Hunan Province, China, took part in an online survey. Anxiety was assessed using the Self-rating Anxiety Scale; adaptation problems, academic stress, and interpersonal relationships were assessed using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist; and sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A moderated serial mediation model, based on Hayes’ Model 92, was used to assess the hypothesized model.ResultsThe survey resulted in 3,490 valid responses. Among respondents, 24% exhibited anxiety symptoms and 30.4% showed abnormal sleep patterns (i.e., PSQI score ≥ 8). The most significant path identified based on indirect effects was anxiety (β = 0.109), adaptation problems (β = 0.183), academic stress (β = 0.081), and sleep quality (all p-values < 0.001). Furthermore, interpersonal relationships moderated the effects of adaptation problems (β = −0.015, p < 0.001), academic stress (β = −0.012, p < 0.001), and anxiety (β = 0.003, p = 0.002) on sleep quality.ConclusionElevated anxiety and sleep disorders are common among university students. Adaptive capacity may play a crucial role in sleep disorders among early-year university students. Interventions such as fostering strong interpersonal relationships in campus environments, may prove beneficial in improving academic performance and sleep quality.

Suicidal ideation in medical students of Hebei province: prevalence and associated factors.

This study investigated the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI) among Chinese medical students and its associated risk factors. A total of 6643 medical students (2383 males/4260 females) were recruited from a medical college in Hebei Province, China. Demographic data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) was used to evaluate childhood maltreatment (CM), and the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) was used to evaluate the stressful life events. Suicidal ideation was assessed using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors affecting SI. The prevalence of SI in medical students was 11.5% (763/6643). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SI was significantly associated with younger age, a female sex, being lovelorn, being introverted, experiencing CM during childhood, and experiencing stressful life events within the past 12 months. Of the five subtypes of CM, emotional abuse may have the strongest effect on SI (OR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.72-4.42). The joint effects of CM and stressful life events were significantly associated with an increased risk of SI (OR=5.39, 95% CI: 4.15-6.98). The prevalence of SI among medical students is high, and medical students who have experienced CM and stressful life events have a higher tendency towards SI. Screening for both CM and stressful life events may be an effective way of identifying individuals at high risk of SI.

The prevalence and possible risk factors of gaming disorder among adolescents in China.

Nowadays, moderate gaming behaviors can be a pleasant and relaxing experiences among adolescents. However, excessive gaming behavior may lead to gaming disorder (GD) that disruption of normal daily life. Understanding the possible risk factors of this emerging problem would help to suggest effective at preventing and intervening. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of GD and analyze its possible risk factors that adolescents with GD. Data were collected between October 2020 and January 2021. In total, a sample of 7901 students (4080 (52%) boys, 3742 (48%) girls; aged 12-18 years) completed questionnaires regarding the Gaming-Related Behaviors Survey, Gaming Disorder Symptom Questionnaire-21 (GDSQ-21); Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System Scale (BIS/BAS Scale); Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ); Short-form Egna Minnenav Barndoms Uppfostran for Chinese (s-EMBU-C); and Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC). The prevalence of GD was 2.27% in this adolescent sample. The GD gamers were a little bit older (i.e., a higher proportion of senior grades), more boys, with more gaming hours per week in the last 12 months, with more reward responsiveness, maternal rejecting and occurrence of negative life events (e.g., interpersonal relationships, being punished and bereavement factors). These possible risk factors may influence the onset of GD. Future research in clinical, public health, education and other fields should focus on these aspects for provide target prevention and early intervention strategies.

The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Depressive Symptoms in College Students: mediation by Parenting Style and Gender's Moderating Effect.

Stressful life events have a significant impact on the mental health of college students. Depression, as a prevalent psychological issue, has garnered attention in the field of college student mental health and is closely linked to it. Additionally, parenting style is identified as an important factor influencing the development of college students' mental health. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between these three factors. A total of 8079 first-year college students from two medical universities in Shandong Province, China were surveyed. The Beck Depression Inventory was utilized to evaluate depressive symptoms among the college students, while the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist and the Egna Minnen Beträfande Uppfostran were employed to gather data. Subsequently, the SPSS macro program PROCESS was utilized to analyze both the mediating and moderating effects. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0. The study found a detection rate of 6.3% for depressive symptoms among college students. The correlation analysis of this study showed that the stressful life events of college students were significantly positively correlated with depressive symptoms (r=0.261, p< 0.01). Each dimension of parenting style was associated with depressive symptoms in different degrees and directions. At the same time, parenting styles of all sizes play a partial mediating role between stressful life events and depressive symptoms in college students, gender plays a crucial regulatory role in this mediation. Stressful life events experienced by college students have a significant impact on their mental health. Early intervention through positive parenting styles from parents may prove to be beneficial in promoting the development of good mental health among college students.

Association between stressful life events and sleep quality in Chinese university students: Mediating and moderating roles of emotion regulation.

This study investigated whether emotion regulation mediates or modulates the relationship of SLEs with sleep quality and potential sex differences. A total of 1447 Chinese university students completed the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The results indicated that both cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression significantly mediated and moderated the negative association between SLEs and sleep quality. Additionally, sex differences were found for the mediating role of cognitive reappraisal and for the modulating roles of cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression in the relationship between SLEs and sleep quality. Although the present cross-sectional data does not allow us to test any causal relationships, these results help clarify the underlying emotion-regulation process between SLEs and sleep in university students and highlight the importance of considering sex differences in emotion regulation.

Associations of recent stressful life events with anxiety symptoms among Chinese adolescents with a consideration of family functioning

ABSTRACT Background: The association between stressful life events (SLEs) and adolescent anxiety symptoms has been extensively studied, but the specific impacts of different SLEs domains remain inconclusive. Moreover, limited research has examined the role of family functioning in these associations. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the associations between various recent SLEs and adolescent anxiety symptoms and explore the role of family functioning. Methods: Data were obtained from the second phase of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescents’ Mental and Behavioral Well-being Research in Guangzhou, China. A total of 10,985 students (51.9% boys; mean [SD] age, 15.3 [1.5] years) from forty middle schools participated in the study in 2022 and completed a self-report questionnaire assessing anxiety symptoms, SLEs, and family functioning using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC; including five subscales: interpersonal stress, academic stress, punishment-related stress, loss-related stress, and adaptation-related stress), and the adapted Chinese version of the Family Assessment Device (FAD), respectively. Linear mixed-effects models were performed and the moderation role of family functioning was also examined. Results: The fully adjusted model revealed that a 1-SD increase in the overall ASLEC score was associated with higher levels of anxiety symptoms (β = 2.23, 95%CI: 2.15–2.32). Among various SLEs domains, the academic domain shows the most significant association (β = 2.25, 95%CI: 2.17–2.33). Family functioning exerted an independent protective influence on anxiety symptoms, with each 1-SD increase in FAD scores negatively associated with anxiety symptoms (β = −2.11, 95%CI: – 2.29 to – 1.93) in the adjusted model. Moreover, family functioning significantly buffered the impacts of overall SLEs and each domain, except for adaptation-related SLEs, on anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Higher recent SLEs levels were associated with increased anxiety symptoms among adolescents, with academic SLEs showing the greatest association. Positive family functioning had both direct and buffering influences on anxiety symptoms.

Brain alterations in adolescents with first-episode depression who have experienced adverse events: evidence from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Adverse life events constitute primary risk factors for major depressive disorder (MDD), influencing brain function and structure. Adolescents, with their brains undergoing continuous development, are particularly susceptible to enduring impacts of adverse events. We investigated differences and correlations among childhood trauma, negative life events, and alterations of brain function in adolescents with first-episode MDD. The study included 23 patients with MDD and 19 healthy controls, aged 10-19 years. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and were assessed using the beck depression inventory, childhood trauma questionnaire, and adolescent self-rating life events checklist. Compared with healthy controls, participants with first-episode MDD were more likely to have experienced emotional abuse, physical neglect, interpersonal relationship problems, and learning stress (all p' < 0.05). These adverse life events were significantly correlated with alterations in brain functions (all p < 0.05). This study contributes novel evidence on the underlying process between adverse life events, brain function, and depression, emphasizing the significant neurophysiological impact of environmental factors.

Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Patients with Nonsuicidal Self-Injury.

This study aimed to explore the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on emotion regulation in adolescent patients with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). A total of 72 adolescent patients with NSSI were selected as research subjects from June 2022 to May 2023 for retrospective analysis. They were divided into control group (CG) and experimental group (EG) in accordance with different management methods. CG received routine psychological support treatment, whereas EG was given ACT management on the basis of routine psychological support. The clinical management effects of the 2 groups were compared. At the end of week 6 (T1) and the end of week 12 (T2), the EG had significantly higher scores of positive emotion regulation and cognitive fusion questionnaire-fusion (CFQ-F) (P < .05). However, they had significantly lower scores on the negative emotion regulation, behavior questionnaire, function questionnaire, and adolescent self-rating life events checklist (ASLEC) than the CG (P < .05). Acceptance and commitment therapy can effectively regulate the emotional state of adolescent patients with NSSI, improve psychological flexibility, reduce the effectiveness of self-injury behavior, and help such adolescents acquire the correct values in life.

Stress events and stress symptoms in Chinese secondary school students: gender and academic year characteristics of the relationship.

To explore the relationship between stress events and stress symptoms and their gender and academic year characteristics in Chinese secondary school students. 4,995 secondary school students were investigated by the Adolescent Self-rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) and the Calgary Symptoms of Stress Inventory (C-SOSI). First, there were significant differences in all dimensions and total scores of stress events and stress symptoms between boys and girls in secondary school and between junior high school students and senior high school students. Second, the dimensions and total scores of stress events in secondary school students are positively correlated with the dimensions and total scores of stress symptoms. Third, the influence of punishment on the stress symptoms of secondary school boys is the most obvious, and the influence of punishment, adaption, relationship stress, and learning stress on the stress symptoms of secondary school girls is the most obvious. The influence of punishment on the stress symptoms of junior high school students is the most obvious, and the influence of punishment and relationship on the stress symptoms of senior high school students is the most obvious. Stress events and stress symptoms of Chinese secondary school students have significant differences in gender and academic year. The same stress event has different influence mechanisms on the stress symptoms of Chinese secondary school students of different genders and different academic years.

Combined effects of physical activity and life events on depression and PTSD in Chinese students aged 16-24 years.

Life events are important risk factors for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Physical activity is a beneficial behavior to physiological and psychological health. While it has not been reported at present the combined effect of physical activity and life events on individual depression and PTSD, and whether it can alleviate the psychological risks induced by life events. To comprehensively investigate the current status of life events experiences in Chinese students aged 16-24 years and analyze the combined effects of physical activity and life events on their depression and PTSD. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on physical activity levels, life events experiences, depression and PTSD of 1,552 Chinese students aged 16-24 using short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-S), adolescent self-rating life events checklist (ASLEC), PTSD Check List-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale. Then, logistic regression equation and stratified analysis were used to explore the combined effects of physical activity and life events on depression and PTSD. Regression analysis showed that, except for female, <8 h of sleep, smoking, single parent/reorganized families and poor family economic status, experiencing medium-intensity and high-intensity life events were both risk factors for depression. Compared with those who experienced low-intensity life events, those who experienced medium- and high-intensity life events had a 27 and 131% increased risk of depression, respectively. In contrast, medium- and high-level physical activity could reduce the risk of depression by 49 and 53%, respectively. Similar results were obtained with PTSD as a dependent variable. Combined correlation analysis showed that, compared with those with high-level physical activity and low-intensity life events, those with low-level physical activity and high-intensity life events had a 209 and 121% increased risk of depression and PTSD, respectively. Stratified analysis showed that the threshold for life events induced depression and PTSD rose with the increase in the level of physical activity. Lack of physical activity and experience of high-intensity life events are independent risk factors for depression and PTSD, and strengthening physical activity can compensate for the harm of depression and PTSD caused by life events to some extent.

Association between life events, anxiety, depression and non-suicidal self-injury behavior in Chinese psychiatric adolescent inpatients: a cross-sectional study.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a major public health concern among adolescents. Further research is needed into contributors to this behavior, in particular among adolescents with psychiatric disorders. The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of life events and emotional stress on NSSI among hospitalized psychiatric adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, 505 Chinese psychiatric adolescent inpatients 10-19 years old completed questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics and NSSI as well as the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidence of NSSI in psychiatric adolescent patients with different sociodemographic. T-test was used to compare the total scores and dimension scores of the ASLEC, STAI-Y, and CES-D between the NSSI group and the non-NSSI group. A binary logistic regression model was built to explore the relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, questionnaire scores and NSSI. Most psychiatric adolescent inpatients (393, 77.8%) reported NSSI behavior. The higher risk for NSSI was observed among female (odds ratio [OR] 2.665, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.575-4.510), younger adolescents (10-14 years; OR 2.021, 95% CI 1.258-3.245), with a suicide history (OR 2.479, 95% CI 1.549-3.967), or with depression symptom (OR 3.217, 95% CI 1.572-6.582) and those with higher scores of ASLEC (OR 1.019, 95% CI 1.010-1.029). Our study in China is one of the first to apply to adolescent inpatients the diagnostic criteria of NSSI in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Our analysis suggests that NSSI prevalence is disturbingly high among adolescents with mental illness in China. A better understanding of contributing factors, especially negative life events and negative emotions, may guide interventions that can reduce its prevalence.

Life Events, Boredom Proneness and Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency: A Longitudinal Mediation Analysis Based on Latent Growth Modeling (LGM).

Mobile phone addiction has motivated a widespread concern in recent years. From a developmental perspective, this study explored the predictive relations between life events, boredom proneness (BP), and mobile phone addiction tendency (MPAT) among undergraduate students. It also tested the longitudinal mediation of BP between life events and MPAT. Five hundred and eighty-four undergraduate students completed the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale, the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, and the Boredom Proneness Scale-Short Form. A longitudinal mediation analysis based on latent growth modeling was conducted to test the hypothesized relationships among life events, BP and MPAT. Latent growth modeling (LGM) showed that the BP and MPAT of undergraduate students both increased linearly. A longitudinal model based on LGM showed that negative life events both directly and indirectly affected the initial level and the growth rate of the MPAT through the mediating effect of the initial level of BP. These results reveal that negative life events are an indicator of the development of MPAT. It has practical implications for calling for adopting health coping styles when facing negative life events. Supported for reducing college students' boredom proneness in order to lessen the tendency towards mobile phone addiction to improve their mental health.

The Effect of Daily Stress on Depression in Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model

We explored the effects and mechanisms of daily perceived stress on depression among Chinese adolescents. Participants were 1,153 junior high school students who completed The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale-Children, the Socioeconomic Status Scale, the Emotional Control Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results showed that daily stress was positively related to depression, and emotional balance partially mediated this relationship. The relationship between emotional balance and depression was moderated by emotional control and socioeconomic status, such that the impact of emotional balance on depression was stronger for adolescents with low emotional control and high socioeconomic status. We have revealed the behavioral mechanism underlying the association between daily stress and depression, enriching the literature on youth positive development. For those working with adolescents, to prevent depression the focus should be on maintaining daily emotional balance by improving emotional control, while paying attention to the emotional problems of adolescents with low socioeconomic status.

Negative life events and aggression among Chinese rural left-behind adolescents: do self-esteem and resilience mediate the relationship?

BackgroundLeft-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.MethodsUsing 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.ResultsNegative 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.ConclusionsWe 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.

The relationship between stressful life events and school engagement for junior high school students in China: A serial mediation model

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between stressful life events (SLE) and school engagement and to determine if there are some likely mediating variables between them. A sample of 1517 Chinese junior high school students (51.5% female) completed the adolescent self-rating life events checklist (ASLEC), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-student (UWES-s), cognitive fusion questionnaire (CFQ), and positive psychological capital questionnaire (PPQ). The model was calculated using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. The serial mediator model revealed a significant negative effect of SLE on school engagement through psychological flexibility and psychological capital (effect = −.08, 95% CI [−.10, −.06]). There was also a direct mediating effect through psychological capital (effect = −.17, 95% CI [−.21, −.13]). The results of the present study may help to clarify mechanisms that might explain the association between SLE and school engagement. Future research on improving school engagement should consider the critical roles of psychological flexibility and psychological capital.

The effect of life events, resilience, self-esteem, and coping styles on aggressive behavior among left-behind adolescents: Structural equation modeling.

Without parental support, left-behind adolescents are more likely than their peers to experience negative emotions and demonstrate aggressive behavior in the same frustrating situation. However, research on this subject has been sparse. To fill this gap and identify potential targets for intervention, this study sought to examine the relationships among factors influencing left-behind adolescents' aggressive behavior. A total of 751 left-behind adolescents were enrolled in a cross-sectional survey, with data collected using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Coping Style Questionnaire, and Buss-Warren Aggression Questionnaire. The structural equation model was used for data analysis. The results showed that left-behind adolescents reported higher levels of aggression. Further, the factors found to have a direct or indirect effect on aggressive behavior included life events, resilience, self-esteem, positive coping, negative coping, and household income. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated goodness of fit. In the face of negative life events, left-behind adolescents with high resilience, self-esteem, and positive coping were less likely to exhibit aggressive behavior (P < 0.05). Left-behind adolescents can reduce their aggressive behavior by assuaging the adverse effects of life events via increased resilience and self-esteem as well as the adoption of positive coping strategies.

Trait rumination in post-stress growth among Chinese college students: the chain mediating effect of distress disclosure and perceived social support.

Rumination has emerged as a significant factor contributing to personal growth following periods of stress or trauma. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between trait rumination and post-stress growth (PSG) within the context of Chinese college students who encounter mild stressors in their daily lives. Moreover, we aim to evaluate the potential mediating roles played by both distress disclosure and perceived social support in this dynamic relationship. All participants completed assessments using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Rumination Response Scale, Post-Stress Growth Inventory, Distress Disclosure Index, and Perceived Social Support Scale. Correlation and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS PROCESS 4 MACRO. All students reported experiencing mild psychological impacts as a result of negative life events in the past year and displayed moderate levels of PSG. There was no significant correlation observed between the effects of negative life events and PSG. Significant negative correlations were found between trait rumination and distress disclosure, perceived social support, and PSG. Distress disclosure and perceived social support jointly operated as sequential mediators in the relationship between trait rumination and PSG among all the participants. Qualitative analyses revealed different correlation patterns of high- versus low-ruminator. Trait rumination affects PSG both directly and indirectly, through its influence on distress disclosure and perceived social support. Our results emphasize the significance of actively participating in distress disclosure and nurturing a robust sense of social support to counteract the detrimental effects of rumination on post-stress growth among Chinese college students.

The relationship between negative life events and quality of life in adolescents: Mediated by resilience and social support.

BackgroundQuality of life has become an important indicator for assessing the health care of adolescents. This study aimed to explore the relationship between negative life events and quality of life in adolescents and the potential mediating roles of resilience and social support.MethodsA stratified cluster sampling technique was used to select 3,860 adolescents as study participants. The Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, the Resilience Scale for Chinese Adolescents, the Social Support Rating Scale, and the Adolescent Quality of Life Scale were used by participants to rate their negative life events, resilience, social support, quality of life, respectively. The correlations between study variables were analyzed by the Pearson correlation analyses. The AMOS 26.0 software was used to explore the mediating roles of resilience and social support in negative life events and quality of life.ResultsThere was a negative correlation between negative life events and quality of life (β=-0.745, P < 0.05); resilience and social support played an important mediating role in the relationship between negative life events and quality of life (βResilience = −0.287, P < 0.05; βSocial support = −0.124, P < 0.05). The emotional adjustment dimension of resilience (β = −0.285, P < 0.05) and the subjective support dimension of social support (β = −0.100, P < 0.05) played the largest mediating roles, respectively.ConclusionNegative life events were negatively correlated with adolescents' quality of life. Strengthening resilience and social support is expected to weaken and reduce the adverse effects of negative life events on adolescents and further maintain and improve their quality of life.

The relationship between negative life events and mental health of overseas Chinese left-behind children: A moderated mediation model

To examine the factors influencing the mental health and sociality of overseas Chinese left-behind children, and to identify the protective mechanisms of their mental health, the current study investigated 568 overseas Chinese left-behind children. The age distribution of the sample ranges from 10 to 16 years, with an average age of 13.51 years and a standard deviation of 1.11. Using the Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Checklist, Perceived Social Support Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Mental Health Inventory of Middle-school Students, results showed that: (1) Perceived social support played a moderate mediate role in the relationship between negative life events and mental health. (2) The effect of negative life events on perceived social support was moderated by general self-efficacy. Negative life events of overseas Chinese left-behind children with higher self-efficacy were more likely to experience negative mental health. Conclusion: Perceived social support plays a moderating mediating role in the relationship between negative life events and mental health of overseas Chinese left-behind children.

Life-Events Mediate the Prediction of Parental Alienation on Depression in Rural Left-Behind Children: A Longitudinal Study.

ObjectivesLong-time separation with parents during early life, such as left-behind children (LBC, one or both of whose parents are leaving for work for at least a period of 6 months), may contribute to high alienation toward parents and endanger their mental health (e.g., depression). However, the dynamic status of depression and potential prediction of alienation on depression in LBC remained largely unknown. This study aimed to examine the dynamic status of depression, prediction of alienation toward parents on later depression in rural LBC, and a potential mediation of life-events.MethodsA total of 877 LBC in rural areas of China were recruited and surveyed at five time-points (baseline, T0: 1-month, T1: 3-months, T2: 6-months, T3: 12-months, T4) with the Inventory of Alienation Toward Parents, Childhood Depression Inventory, and Adolescent Self-Rating Life-Events Checklist. The Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) and Hayes's PROCESS macro model were conducted to estimate the developmental trend and hierarchical predictors of depression.ResultsThe left-behind children aged 9-years old experienced higher depression than the children with other ages. At baseline, the children in the family atmosphere of frequent quarrels and compulsive parenting style reported a higher level of alienation toward parents, life-events, and depression. Alienation toward parents, life-events, and depression were positively and moderately correlated with each other (r = 0.14 ~ 0.64). The HLM model depicted a linear decline in depression, alienation, and life-events with an average rate of 0.23, 0.24, and 0.86, respectively, during the five time-points. Also, T0 alienation toward parents and T0 life-events positively predicted the developmental trajectory of depression over time, and T0 life-events positively predicted the descendant rate of depression. Notably, life-events mediated the prediction of baseline alienation toward parents on T4 depression in LBC.ConclusionThis study is among the first to reveal that alienation toward parents predicts the developmental trajectory of later depression in LBC. The findings that life-events mediate the prediction of alienation on later depression further suggest the importance of family and social factors in the occurrence of depression in LBC. The findings warrant the necessity to consider the family and social factors when evaluating and reducing risks for mental health problems in LBC, i.e., relationship with parents (especially alienation toward parents) and life-events need further attention.