title: Mental health among left-behind preschool-aged children: preliminary survey of its status and associated risk factors in rural China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A large proportion of preschoolers have been left behind due to parental migration in rural China. We conducted a preliminary cross-sectional survey to investigate the mental health of these left-behind preschool-aged children (LBPC) and associated risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 750 LBPC, comprising 217 and 433 children left behind as a result of migration of either or both parents, respectively, and 100 controls were enrolled from two counties in Anhui province, China. Their caregivers completed questionnaires on demographics, the Family Support Scale, the Parenting Self-efficacy Scale and the Preschool-aged Child Mental Health Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in mental outcomes among the three groups. However, male LBPC who were younger, fostered by caregivers with lower levels of life satisfaction and parenting efficacy, and came from poorer families with less social support, experienced more mental health problems than other children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LBPC did not have worse mental well-being than their control counterparts, but some subpopulations were at potential risk of mental health problems compared with other LBPC. More research on other underlying factors and strategies to prevent the development of psychopathology is urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Paediatrics, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Wei
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Ya-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhao-Yang
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002670:Child, Abandoned; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population
keywords: Left behind; children; mental health; preschool age; rural China