Left‐Behind Children's Grandparent–Child and Parent–Child Relationships and Loneliness: A Multivariable Mediation Model

• Published date: 01 February 2021
• Author: Jingjing Song,Chensen Ma,Yifan Ruan
• Date: 01 February 2021
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12480

J SChina University of Geosciences

C MHuazhong University of Science and Technology

Y RChina University of Geosciences

Left-Behind Children’s Grandparent–Child and

Parent–Child Relationships and Loneliness:

A Multivariable Mediation Model

Objective: The current study tested the asso-

ciation between family relationships and

left-behind children’s loneliness, as well as

mediators of those associations.

Background: There is considerable concern in

China about the psychological well-being of

rural children whose parents move to urban

areas for work, so-called left-behind children.

However, there have been inconsistent results

in the research concerning loneliness for these

children.

Method: Participants were Chinese left-behind

children from rural families in which one or

both parents had left to work in an urban

area (N=399;139females;11–16 yearsof

age). The children completed questionnaires on

grandparent–child relationships, parent–child

relationships, emotional intelligence, peer

relationships, and loneliness.

Results: Positive parent–child relationships

were negatively associated with left-behind

children’s loneliness. Path analysis showed

China University of Geosciences, Institute of Applied

Psychology, 388 Lumo Road, Wuhan, 430079, China

(jingsong321@126.com).

Key Words: emotional intelligence, grandparent–child rela-

tionship, left-behind children, loneliness, parent–child rela-

tionship, peer relationships.

that more positive grandparent–child and

parent–child relationships were associated

with a higher level of emotional intelligence

and better peer relationships, which in turn

were negatively associated with lower child

loneliness. Moreover, the unique effect of

parent–child relationships was higher than that

of grandparent–child relationships in predicting

left-behind children’s loneliness.

Conclusion: It appears possible that a positive

relationship with grandparents can lessen the

loneliness experienced by left-behind children,

but the parent–child relationship is still more

important for this aspect of psychological

adjustment. Emotional intelligence and peer

relationships appear to be mechanisms that

account for the association between positive

family relationships and lower loneliness in this

group of children.

Implications: The results are discussed in terms

of the role that parents and grandparents can

play in interventions to help this population.

Adolescence is viewed as a transitional period

between childhood and adulthood, during

which there is a process of “separation-

individualization.” Adolescents may seek

parents’ support but also move toward more

independence. The crisis adolescents face is to

Family Relations 70 (February 2021): 195–206195

DOI:10.1111/fare.12480