The prevalence of depressive symptoms in ‘left-behind children’ in China: a meta-analysis of comparative studies and epidemiological surveys

Due to the unprecedented increase in internal migration of workers in China, a unique and widespread social phenomenon of the so-called ‘left-behind children’ (LBC) has emerged (He et al., 2012). The phenomenon of LBC refers to children who are left at home for at least 6 months while one or both parents move elsewhere to work (Duan& Zhou,  2005). The rapid economic development in China has shifted a massive workforce from rural to urban areas in recent decades (Wen& Lin,  2012). Due to the financial and social welfare constraints in urban settings, it is common for migrant workers to leave their children behind in the care of other family or guardians (He et al., 2012), which could amount to nearly 80% of migrant families workers (Cheng& Sun,  2015).
Source: Journal of Affective Disorders - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Research paper Source Type: research