Examining the Relation between Caregiver Mental Health and Student Outcomes in Rural China

Huan Wang, Claire Cousineau, Yuwei Adeline Hu, Grace Hu, Sunny Qi, Adrian Sun, Helen Wu, Scott Rozelle and Manpreet Singh
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Huan Wang: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Claire Cousineau: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Yuwei Adeline Hu: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Grace Hu: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Sunny Qi: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Adrian Sun: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Helen Wu: Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-6055, USA
Manpreet Singh: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94305-5719, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: Research continues to highlight the central relationship between caregivers’ mental health and their children’s development. This study examined the relation between primary caregivers’ mental health and school-aged children’s outcomes, including student mental health, resilience, and academic performance, in rural China. Using cross-sectional data from economically poor areas in the Gansu province, 2989 students (mean age = 11.51, 53.33% male, 46.67% female) and their primary caregivers (74.2% female) completed the 21-item, self-report Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Students also completed the 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and a standardized math test. The results indicated a high prevalence of caregiver depression (31%), stress (39%), and anxiety (24%). Characteristics that were significantly correlated with caregiver mental health issues included being a grandparent, having a low socioeconomic status and low education level, and living in a household with at least one migrant worker. Apart from caregiver stress and student resilience, caregiver mental health issues were negatively correlated with all student outcomes, including student mental health, resilience, and academic performance. Although additional empirical research is needed to investigate the associations between caregiver mental health and student outcomes, our results suggest that rural communities could benefit greatly from programs focused on improving the mental health of caregivers and this, in turn, may have a positive impact on student outcomes.

Keywords: caregiver’s mental health; student outcomes; rural China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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