Top

Gepubliceerd in:

06-06-2024 | Original Paper

The Relationship among Loneliness, Emotional Flexibility and Resilience in Left-behind Children: A Longitudinal Study

Auteurs: Di Xu, Xiaohui Sophie Li, Qingrong Chen, Yi Zhu, Yuexi Zhang

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies | Uitgave 7/2024

Abstract

Parental migration has been found to affect left-behind children (LBC) more negatively than positively on their mental health, leaving them with higher levels of loneliness. Previous studies also found that individuals’ resilience and emotional flexibility would shelter them from such adversities and foster adaptations. The present study conducted a three-wave longitudinal survey to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by LBC, as well as the longitudinal and reciprocal relationships among their loneliness, emotional flexibility and resilience. In total, 516 LBC (Mean age = 13.24 years, SD = 1.48 years, and 51.87% boys), living in Jiangsu Province of China, completed a survey, including the Chinese version of Children’s Loneliness Scale (CLS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Emotional Flexibility Scale and a socio-demographic questionnaire. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that LBC’s emotional flexibility and resilience were not the predictor of loneliness at the subsequent time point. LBC’s loneliness was a negative and stable predictor of resilience at the subsequent time point, and emotional flexibility was a positive and stable predictor. Moreover, T1 resilience was a positive predictor of T2 emotional flexibility. Overall, this study suggested that interventions in promoting resilience should prioritize enhancing their emotional flexibility, which would help relieve their loneliness and protect their mental health.

vorige artikel As I See or Do? Exploring Parental Perceptions of and Magnifying Responses to Children’s Anxiety Symptoms

volgende artikel Longitudinal Relations Between Social Relationships and Adolescent Life Satisfaction: The Mediating Roles of Self-compassion and Psychological Resilience

Ai, H., & Hu, J. (2016). Psychological resilience moderates the impact of social support on loneliness of “left-behind” children. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(6), 1066–1073. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314544992.CrossRefPubMed

Aldao, A., Sheppes, G., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Emotion regulation flexibility. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 39(3), 263–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-014-9662-4.CrossRef

An, Y., Zang, W., Wu, X., Lin, C., & Zhou, J. (2011). Effects of traumatic exposure on post-traumatic growth —— the role of resilience as a moderator. Journal of Psychological Science, 34(3), 727–732. https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.2011.03.001.CrossRef

Asher, S. R., Hymel, S., & Renshaw, P. D. (1984). Loneliness in children. Child Development, 55(4), 1456–1464. https://doi.org/10.2307/1130015.CrossRef

Beshai, S., Prentice, J. L., & Huang, V. (2018). Building blocks of emotional flexibility: Trait mindfulness and self-compassion are associated with positive and negative mood shifts. Mindfulness, 9(3), 939–948. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0833-8.CrossRef

Bonanno, G. A. (2021). The resilience paradox. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1942642 https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1942642.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Bonanno, G. A., Chen, S., Bagrodia, R., & Galatzer-Levy, I. R. (2024). Resilience and Disaster: Flexible Adaptation in the Face of Uncertain Threat. Annual Review of Psychology, 75(1), annurev-psych-011123-024224 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-011123-024224.CrossRef

Bonanno, G. A., Papa, A., Lalande, K., Westphal, M., & Coifman, K. (2004). The importance of being flexible: The ability to both enhance and suppress emotional expression predicts long-term adjustment. Psychological Science, 15(7), 482–487. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00705.x.CrossRefPubMed

Bonanno, G. A., Chen, S., & Galatzer-Levy, I. R. (2023). Resilience to potential trauma and adversity through regulatory flexibility. Nature Reviews Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00233-5

Bowlby, J. (1977). The making and breaking of affectional bonds. I. A etiology and psychopathology in the light of attachment theory. British Journal of Psychiatry, 130, 201–210.CrossRef

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1993). The ecology of cognitive development: Research models and fugitive findings. In R. H. Wozniak & K. W. Fischer (Eds.), Development in context: Acting and thinking in specific environments. Psychology Press.

Cao, Q., & Liu, L. (2020). Loneliness and depression among Chinese drug users: Mediating effect of resilience and moderating effect of gender. Journal of Community Psychology, 48(2), 414–425. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22262.CrossRefPubMed

Chai, X., Du, H., Li, X., Su, S., & Lin, D. (2019). What really matters for loneliness among left-behind children in rural china: A meta-analytic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 774 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00774.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Chi, X., Liang, K., Chen, S.-T., Huang, Q., Huang, L., Yu, Q., Jiao, C., Guo, T., Stubbs, B., Hossain, M. M., Yeung, A., Kong, Z., & Zou, L. (2021). Mental health problems among Chinese adolescents during the COVID-19: The importance of nutrition and physical activity. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 21(3), 100218 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2020.100218.CrossRefPubMed

Cole, A., Bond, C., Qualter, P., & Maes, M. (2021). A systematic review of the development and psychometric properties of loneliness measures for children and adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 3285 https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063285.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD‐RISC). Depress Anxiety, 18, 76–82.CrossRefPubMed

Eres, R., Lim, M. H., Lanham, S., Jillard, C., & Bates, G. (2021). Loneliness and emotion regulation: Implications of having social anxiety disorder. Australian Journal of Psychology, 73(1), 46–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049530.2021.1904498.CrossRef

Faisal, C. M., & Turnip, S. S. (2019). Predictors of loneliness among the left-behind children of migrant workers in Indonesia. Journal of Public Mental Health, 18(1), 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-04-2018-0023.CrossRef

Fellmeth, G., Rose-Clarke, K., Zhao, C., Busert, L. K., Zheng, Y., Massazza, A., Sonmez, H., Eder, B., Blewitt, A., Lertgrai, W., Orcutt, M., Ricci, K., Mohamed-Ahmed, O., Burns, R., Knipe, D., Hargreaves, S., Hesketh, T., Opondo, C., & Devakumar, D. (2018). Health impacts of parental migration on left-behind children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 392(10164), 2567–2582. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32558-3.CrossRef

Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218.CrossRefPubMed

Fu, F., Chow, A., Li, J., & Cong, Z. (2018). Emotional flexibility: Development and application of a scale in adolescent earthquake survivors. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 10(2), 246–252. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000278.CrossRefPubMed

Genet, J. J., & Siemer, M. (2011). Flexible control in processing affective and non-affective material predicts individual differences in trait resilience. Cognition & Emotion, 25(2), 380–388. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2010.491647.CrossRef

Griffiths, S. M., Dong, D., & Chung, R. Y. (2018). Forgotten needs of children left behind by migration. The Lancet, 392(10164), 2518–2519. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)33004-6.CrossRef

Gupta, S., & Bonanno, G. A. (2011). Complicated grief and deficits in emotional expressive flexibility. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(3), 635–643. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023541.CrossRefPubMed

Haim-Nachum, S., & Levy-Gigi, E. (2021). The Tension Between Cognitive and Regulatory Flexibility and Their Associations With Current and Lifetime PTSD Symptoms. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 615289 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.615289.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Han, Z., Wang, Z., & Li, Y. (2021). Cyberbullying Involvement, Resilient Coping, and Loneliness of Adolescents During Covid-19 in Rural China. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 664612 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.664612.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Heinrich, L. M., & Gullone, E. (2006). The clinical significance of loneliness: A literature review. Clinical Psychology Review, 26(6), 695–718. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2006.04.002.CrossRefPubMed

Hinton, D. E., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2017). The Flexibility Hypothesis of Healing. Culture, Medicine, and Psychiatry, 41(1), 3–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11013-016-9493-8.CrossRefPubMed

Hobfoll, S. E. (2001). The influence of culture, community, and the nested self in the stress process: Advancing conservation of resources theory. Applied psychology, 50(3), 337–421.CrossRef

Huang, H., Wan, X., Liang, Y., Zhang, Y., Peng, Q., Ding, Y., Lu, G., & Chen, C. (2022). Correlations Between Social Support and Loneliness, Self-Esteem, and Resilience Among Left-Behind Children in Mainland China: A Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 874905 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.874905.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

İme, Y., & Ümmet, D. (2022). Adaptation of Emotional Flexibility Scale: Its Association with Subjective Well Being and Resilience During Covid-19 Pandemic. Child Indicators Research, 15(6), 2141–2154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-022-09959-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Jia, Z., & Tian, W. (2010). Loneliness of left-behind children: a cross-sectional survey in a sample of rural China. Child: care, health and development, 36(6), 812–817. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01110.x.CrossRefPubMed

Kalisch, R., Müller, M., & Tüscher, O. (2015). A conceptual framework for the neurobiological study of resilience. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 38, 1–79. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X1400082X.CrossRef

Kalisch, R., Baker, D. G., Basten, U., Boks, M. P., Bonanno, G. A., Brummelman, E., Chmitorz, A., Fernàndez, G., Fiebach, C. J., Galatzer-Levy, I., Geuze, E., Groppa, S., Helmreich, I., Hendler, T., Hermans, E. J., Jovanovic, T., Kubiak, T., Lieb, K., Lutz, B., & Kleim, B. (2017). The resilience framework as a strategy to combat stress-related disorders. Nature Human Behaviour, 1(11), 784–790. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0200-8.CrossRefPubMed

Lackova Rebicova, M., Dankulincova Veselska, Z., Husarova, D., Madarasova Geckova, A., Jansen, D. E. M. C., van Dijk, J. P., & Reijneveld, S. A. (2021). Does resilience mediate the association of adverse early childhood experiences with emotional and behavioural problems? International Journal of Public Health, 66, 1604006 https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604006.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Ling, H., Fu, E., & Zhang, J. R. (2015). Effects of separation age and separation duration among left-behind children in China. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 43(2), 241–253. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2015.43.2.241.CrossRef

Liu, Y., Li, X., Chen, L., & Qu, Z. (2015). Perceived positive teacher-student relationship as a protective factor for Chinese left-behind children’s emotional and behavioural adjustment. International Journal of Psychology, 50(5), 354–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12112.CrossRefPubMed

Ma, Y. (2021). Effect of mental resilience of left-behind children on self-esteem and emotional processing bias and social coping styles. Work, 69(2), 559–571. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-213499.CrossRefPubMed

Mercer, S. H., & DeRosier, M. E. (2008). Teacher preference, peer rejection, and student aggression: A prospective study of transactional influence and independent contributions to emotional adjustment and grades. Journal of School Psychology, 46, 661–685.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Mesman, E., Vreeker, A., & Hillegers, M. (2021). Resilience and mental health in children and adolescents: An update of the recent literature and future directions. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 34(6), 586–592. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000741.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Murphy, R., Zhou, M., & Tao, R. (2016). Parents’ migration and children’s subjective well-being and health: Evidence from rural China: Evidence from rural China. Population, Space and Place, 22(8), 766–780. https://doi.org/10.1002/psp.1955.CrossRef

Preece, D. A., Goldenberg, A., Becerra, R., Boyes, M., Hasking, P., & Gross, J. J. (2021). Loneliness and emotion regulation. Personality and Individual Differences, 180, 110974 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110974.CrossRef

Prime, H., Walsh, F., & Masten, A. S. (2023). Building family resilience in the wake of a global pandemic: Looking back to prepare for the future. Canadian Psychology / Psychologie Canadienne, 64(3), 200–211. https://doi.org/10.1037/cap0000366.CrossRef

Rose-Clarke, K., Nambutr, W., Kongkamud, A., Lertgrai, W., Prost, A., Benyakorn, S., Albakri, M., Devries, K., Salisbury, T., & Jampaklay, A. (2022). Psychosocial resilience among left‐behind adolescents in rural Thailand: A qualitative exploration. Sociology of Health & Illness, 44(1), 147–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.13402.CrossRef

Schinka, K. C., VanDulmen, M. H. M., Bossarte, R., & Swahn, M. (2012). Association Between Loneliness and Suicidality During Middle Childhood and Adolescence: Longitudinal Effects and the Role of Demographic Characteristics. The Journal of Psychology, 146(1–2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.584084.CrossRefPubMed

Selig, J. P., & Preacher, K. J. (2009). Mediation Models for Longitudinal Data in Developmental Research. Research in Human Development, 6(2–3), 144–164. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427600902911247.CrossRef

Shao, J., Zhang, L., Ren, Y., Xiao, L., & Zhang, Q. (2018). Parent–child cohesion, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and emotional adaptation in Left-behind children in China: An indirect effects model. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1023 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01023.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Sharabi, A., Levi, U., & Margalit, M. (2012). Children’s loneliness, sense of coherence, family climate, and hope: Developmental risk and protective factors. The Journal of Psychology, 146(1–2), 61–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.568987.CrossRefPubMed

Smeekens, C., Stroebe, M. S., & Abakoumkin, G. (2012). The impact of migratory separation from parents on the health of adolescents in the Philippines. Social Science & Medicine, 75(12), 2250–2257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.08.025.CrossRef

Song, J., Ma, C., & Ruan, Y. (2021). Left-behind children’ s grandparent-child and parent-child relationships and loneliness: A multivariable mediation model. Family Relations, 70(1), 195–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12480.CrossRef

Southwick, S., & Charney, D. (2012). Cognitive and emotional flexibility. In: Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges (pp. 165–183). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139013857.011

Su, S., Li, X., Lin, D., Xu, X., & Zhu, M. (2013). Psychological adjustment among left-behind children in rural China: the role of parental migration and parent-child communication. Child: Care, Health and Development, 39(2), 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2012.01400.x.CrossRefPubMed

Tan, D., Xie, R., Song, S., Ding, W., Wu, W., & Li, W. (2023). How does parent–child attachment influence left‐behind children’s loneliness and depression: The mediating roles of peer attachment and teacher–student relationship. Child: Care, Health and Development, cch.13118. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13118.

The State Council of the People’s Republic of China. (2016). State Council Guidelines on Protection of Left Behind Children. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2016-02/14/content_5041066.htm.

Ungar, M. (2011). The social ecology of resilience: Addressing contextual and cultural ambiguity of a nascent construct. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 81(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01067.x.CrossRefPubMed

Wade, M., Prime, H., & Browne, D. T. (2020). Why we need longitudinal mental health research with children and youth during (and after) the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychiatry Research, 290, 113143 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113143.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wang, J. L., Zhang, D. J., & Zimmerman, M. A. (2015). Resilience Theory and its Implications for Chinese Adolescents. Psychological Reports, 117(2), 354–375. https://doi.org/10.2466/16.17.PR0.117c21z8.CrossRefPubMed

Wang, Q., Wang, H., & Liu, X. (2020). Loneliness, non-suicidal self-injury, and friendship quality among Chinese left-behind adolescents: The role of parent-child cohesion. Journal of Affective Disorders, 271, 193–200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.03.112.CrossRefPubMed

Wang, X. D., Wang, X. L., & Ma, H. (1999). Rating scales for mental health (pp. 246–248, 284–286). Beijing: Chinese Mental Health Journal.

Waugh, C. E., Thompson, R. J., & Gotlib, I. H. (2011). Flexible emotional responsiveness in trait resilience. Emotion, 11(5), 1059–1067. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021786.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Wu, M. L. (2013). Structural equation model: Amos practice progression. Chongqing: Chongqing University Press.

Xing, H., Yu, W., Xu, F., & Chen, S. (2017). Influence of social support and rearing behavior on psychosocial health in left-behind children. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 15(1), 13 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-017-0592-1.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Yang, K., Petersen, K. J., & Qualter, P. (2022). Undesirable social relations as risk factors for loneliness among 14-year-olds in the UK: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 46(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025420965737.CrossRef

Yu, X., & Zhang, J. (2007). Factor analysis and psychometric evaluation of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) with Chinese people. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 35(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2007.35.1.19.CrossRef

Yuan, G., Xu, W., Liu, Z., & An, Y. (2018). Resilience, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth in Chinese adolescents after a Tornado: The role of mediation through perceived social support. Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 206(2), 130–135. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000000778.CrossRef

Zhang, D., Wang, R., Zhao, X., Zhang, J., Jia, J., Su, Y., & Wang, K. (2021). Role of resilience and social support in the relationship between loneliness and suicidal ideation among Chinese nursing home residents. Aging & Mental Health, 25(7), 1262–1272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1786798.CrossRef

Zhao, C., Wang, F., Li, L., Zhou, X., & Hesketh, T. (2017). Long-term impacts of parental migration on Chinese children’s psychosocial well-being: Mitigating and exacerbating factors. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 52(6), 669–677. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-017-1386-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Zhao, X., Fu, F., & Zhou, L. (2020). The mediating mechanism between psychological resilience and mental health among left-behind children in China. Children and Youth Services Review, 110, 104686 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104686.CrossRef

Zhao, X., Chen, J., Chen, M.-C., Lv, X.-L., Jiang, Y.-H., & Sun, Y.-H. (2014). Left-behind children in rural China experience higher levels of anxiety and poorer living conditions. Acta Paediatrica, 103(6), 665–670. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.12602.CrossRefPubMed

Titel: The Relationship among Loneliness, Emotional Flexibility and Resilience in Left-behind Children: A Longitudinal Study
Auteurs: Di Xu
Xiaohui Sophie Li
Qingrong Chen
Yi Zhu
Yuexi Zhang
Publicatiedatum: 06-06-2024
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Child and Family Studies / Uitgave 7/2024
Print ISSN: 1062-1024
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2843
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-024-02850-x

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 7/2024

Experiences of Child Marriage Among Women and Men in Turkey

Longitudinal Transition Patterns of Peer Attachment and Parent-Child Relationships among High School Students

Psychometric Properties of the Modified Parenting Attitudes Measure Among African American Adolescents in Public Housing

COVID-19 and Child Adjustment: The role of Coparenting Conflict and Child Temperament

Childhood Family Transitions and Adolescent Dating Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study

Reliability of Responsibility: A Predictor for Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Cohesion among Incarcerated Coparents