Economic Pressure and Loneliness in Migrant Children in China: The Mediating Roles of Parent–Child Communication and Parental Warmth

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating roles of parent–child communication and parental warmth in the relationship between economic pressure and loneliness in a sample of migrant children in China. A total of 437 participants were selected from two public schools for migrant children in Zhejiang Province, China. All participants were asked to complete four measures, including the Perceived Economic Strain Scale, the Parent–Child Communication Questionnaire, the Parental Warmth Scale, and the Children’s Loneliness Scale. The results showed that economic pressure was positively and directly related to loneliness. Furthermore, parent–child communication and parental warmth partially mediated the relationship between economic pressure and loneliness in migrant children. Thus, parent–child communication and parental warmth play important roles in reducing the negative effect of economic pressure on loneliness in migrant children.