Citation

Leskauskas D, Adomaitienė V, Šeškevičienė G, Čėsnaitė E, Šmigelskas K. Child Indic. Res. 2020; 13(4): 1203-1216.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s12187-019-09689-5

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The migration makes an influence on children's mental health and behaviors. However, the majority of studies investigate the families and people in migration rather than left-behind groups in their home countries.

OBJECTIVE: to assess the possible impact of parents' migration on emotional and behavioral problems of their left-behind children. The study comprised 10-19-year-old adolescents from five urban secondary schools (n = 1292). The cross-sectional study was conducted in Kaunas city (Lithuania). Main measures were self-reported scales - Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as well as items on subjective perceptions and feelings towards the change of relationship with a missing parent due to migration or divorce.

FINDINGS show that left-behind children report more risky behaviors and emotional problems, they tend more to feel unloved (OR = 2.34, p < 0.05), longing for missing parent (OR = 4.72, p < 0.05), contemplating suicide or self-injuring behavior (OR = 3.92, p < 0.05). Emotional and behavioral problems are more prevalent among 15-19-year-old male adolescents (OR = 1.71, p < 0.05). The left-behind children report more emotional and behavioral problems compared to the children from divorced families. The findings suggest that parental migration has specific negative effects on left-behind children's emotional state and behaviors. © 2019, Springer Nature B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Emotional problems; Adolescents; Lithuania; Behavioral problems; Economic migration; Left-behind children