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Left‐behind children are likely to experience peer victimization, which can have detrimental consequences in their developmental outcomes. Yet, limited longitudinal research have examined peer victimization trajectories over time or the factors associated with left‐behind children in China. The purpose of the present study was to examine what, if any, distinct trajectories of peer victimization exist among left‐behind children and whether these trajectories are related to school climate, left‐behind status, and their interactions. Participants were 853 Chinese left‐behind children (Mage = 14.25, SD = 2.39; 43.4% girls) who participated in a four‐wave longitudinal study conducted in rural China. Participants reported school climate (indexed by safety and order, acceptance and support, equality and fairness, autonomy and cooperation) at T1 and peer victimization across T1 to T4 spanning 2 years. Latent class growth analyses identified four peer victimization trajectories, including a stably low‐decreasing group, a moderate‐decreasing group, a high‐decreasing group, and an increasing group. Multinomial logistic regression analyses revealed that children who perceived more positive school climate were more likely to exhibit a stably low‐decreasing trajectory compared to the other three groups. In addition, among left‐behind children who perceived more positive school climate, children with single‐parent migrating were more likely to be members of the stably low‐decreasing group as compared to those with both‐parent migrating. Peer victimization among left‐behind children is a concern especially for those who were left behind by both parents and perceived less positive school climate. Targeted school‐based interventions and services focused on reducing peer victimization and improving school climate are needed for left‐behind children, especially those with both‐parent migrating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research has observed reciprocal associations between sleep and mood. However, these findings are primarily based on the examination of one or two aspects of sleep behaviors (e.g., duration, quality), neglecting how multiple dimensions of sleep (particularly indicators pertinent to adolescence, e.g., sleep variability) are linked to adolescent mood both daily and longitudinally. Drawing on a multidimensional framework for sleep, this study addressed the knowledge gap by examining the directionality of and differential effects for associations between multiple dimensions of sleep and mood during early adolescence. Participants were 273 Chinese early adolescents (34.39% girls; Mage = 11.57, SD = 1.31), who filled out a pre-survey on demographics (T1) and 7-day diaries on sleep (i.e., duration, quality, disturbance, and latency) and mood (i.e., positive and negative mood). Adolescents completed another wave of diary reports 1 year later (T2). Findings revealed both bidirectional and unidirectional, within-person effects depending on specific sleep parameters, suggesting differential associations between multiple dimensions of sleep and mood. Specifically, on days when adolescents had longer sleep latency and greater disturbance than usual, they reported higher negative mood the next day, whereas higher negative mood was linked to poorer sleep quality the next day. The longitudinal investigation found that greater variability in sleep quality at T1 was associated with higher negative mood at T2. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the complex interplay between sleep and mood by examining the directionality of and differential effects for the daily and longer-term associations between multiple dimensions of sleep and mood among early adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing support for the dual-continua model of mental health, which emphasizes psychopathology and well-being as related but distinct dimensions. Yet, little is known about how these dimensions co-develop from childhood to early adolescence and what factors predict their different trajectories. The current study aimed to identify distinct patterns of mental health in Chinese early adolescents, focusing on both psychopathological symptoms (i.e., depressive symptoms and self-harm behaviors) and subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction and affect balance). This study also examined the contributions of school climate and future orientation to these trajectories. A total of 1,057 students (Mage = 11.88, SDage = 1.67; 62.1% boys) completed four assessments over two years, with six-month intervals. Using parallel-process latent class growth modeling, we identified four groups: Flourishing (32.5%), Languishing (43.8%), Troubled with Stable Depressive Symptoms (16.1%), and Troubled with Increasing Self-Harm Risk (7.6%). Furthermore, school climate and future orientation contributed to adolescents' membership in these trajectories, either independently or jointly. Specifically, higher levels of future orientation combined with higher school climate were associated with a lower likelihood of belonging to the Troubled with Increasing Self-Harm Risk trajectory, compared to the Flourishing group. Our findings identified four distinct mental health trajectories consistent with the dual-continua model, and demonstrated that the development of psychopathology and well-being were not always inversely related (e.g., the Languishing group). Adolescents with unique developmental profiles may benefit from tailored intervention strategies that build on the personal and environmental assets of the adolescent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social mobility beliefs play a significant role in shaping adolescents' adaptive developmental outcomes, including well-being and academic functioning. Nevertheless, existing research may not cast light on the distinct trajectories and potential protective factors of social mobility beliefs. The present study aims to identify heterogeneity in trajectory patterns of social mobility beliefs among Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.45, SDage = 2.60; 55.1% boys; 40.0% rural adolescents) in a four-wave (i.e., fall 2017, fall 2018, spring 2019, and fall 2019) longitudinal design, and examines the protective roles of parental academic involvement and adolescent future orientation. Three distinct trajectories of social mobility beliefs were identified: high-increasing (35.1%; a positive trajectory with the best developmental outcomes, including the lowest problem behaviors and depression symptoms, and the highest life satisfaction and academic competence), moderate-stable (49.8%), and low-decreasing (15.1%; a negative trajectory with the worst developmental outcomes, including the highest problem behaviors and depression symptoms, and the lowest life satisfaction and academic competence). Apart from the main effects of parental academic involvement and future orientation, a significant interaction effect of these two protective factors and adolescent group was detected, and only rural adolescents who reported both high levels of parental academic involvement and future orientation have a greater chance of being placed in the high-increasing trajectory than the low-decreasing trajectory. These findings highlight the significance of clarifying individual differences in the dynamic process of social mobility beliefs during adolescence, and elucidate rural-urban disparities in the influences of protective factors on social mobility beliefs trajectories, and inform individualized intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students commonly struggle with academic failure. Innovative interventions aimed at improving the essential components of academic success are therefore needed. The aim of this study was to test whether teaching a growth mindset of intelligence (the belief that intelligence is malleable and can be developed) could improve students' attitudes towards failure and academic outcomes. In particular, we explored whether students' perceived parental beliefs about failure influenced the effect of a growth mindset intervention. We tested the 8‐session growth mindset intervention in a sample of 1766 Chinese primary school students (age M = 10.61; SD =.99). Measures of mindset of intelligence, failure belief, positive strategies, and academic achievement were completed at baseline (T1) and 3‐month follow‐up (T2). In comparison to the control group, students in the intervention group reported a stronger growth mindset of intelligence at 3‐month follow‐up, which in turn indirectly increased their positive failure belief and inclinations of positive strategies when facing failures. Moreover, these beneficial effects of the growth mindset intervention were sustained only when students perceived relatively more supportive parental beliefs about failure. Additionally, the growth mindset intervention to some extent protected students' academic achievement from a downward trajectory at follow‐up. Collectively, the findings highlight the promising effects of a growth mindset intervention on students' academic‐related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students who experienced somatic symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic may engage in rumination, but their bidirectional nature remains underexplored. Symptom perception theory suggests a reciprocal relationship between rumination and somatic symptoms, and the multiple‐stressor perspective and the perseverative cognition hypothesis assume that the reciprocal association might be exacerbated by high stress. In this study, we examined temporal associations between rumination and somatic symptoms and variations by patterns of stress related to COVID‐19 and daily hassles. A total of 582 Chinese college students provided daily reports on rumination, somatic symptoms, COVID‐related stress, and daily hassles for seven consecutive days in November 2020. A cross‐lagged panel model showed a positive reciprocal association between rumination and somatic symptoms. Greater rumination predicted more next‐day somatic symptoms, and more somatic symptoms increased next‐day rumination. Dual trajectory analysis identified four stress patterns of COVID‐related stress and daily hassles (i.e. low‐low, low‐high, high‐low, and high‐high), and multi‐group analysis found the reciprocal association only presented in the high‐high group. Our findings indicate a vicious circle between rumination and somatic symptoms that is dependent on heterogeneous stress patterns. Attention should be paid to the high‐risk group with both high levels of COVID‐related stress and daily hassles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a high prevalence of childhood maltreatment among Chinese children and adolescents, but little is known about its impact on alcohol and tobacco use trajectories and how positive school and neighborhood environments moderate the associations. The objective of this study was to assess the association between multiple forms of childhood maltreatment and longitudinal alcohol and tobacco use trajectories, and to assess the possibility that perceived connections to school and neighborhood moderate these associations. Methods: This longitudinal cohort study included 2594 adolescents (9 to 13 years) from a low-income rural area in China. Childhood exposure to abuse and neglect was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Participants reported past-month alcohol and tobacco use at three time points over 1 year. Results: Growth curve models revealed that childhood sexual abuse was associated with a higher risk of past-month drinking (OR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.19–2.03, p < 0.001) and smoking (OR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.30–2.55, p < 0.001). Neglect was associated with a higher risk of past-month drinking (OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.06–1.90, p < 0.05) and smoking (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.34–3.02, p < 0.001). None of the maltreatment forms predicted a faster increase in either drinking or smoking. These associations were found independent of personal, family, and contextual characteristics. School and neighborhood connection moderated the association between physical abuse and past-month drinking, such that physical abuse was associated with a greater risk of drinking only for youth who perceived low school or neighborhood connections. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the importance of early experiences of childhood maltreatment for adolescent alcohol and tobacco use. Enhancing school and neighborhood connectedness for physically abused youth may help protect them from alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drastically disrupting daily routines, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has posed critical mental health threats to adolescents and young adults worldwide. Many of the extant empirical findings, however, have focused on individuals' psychological adjustment during the initial phase of the pandemic. It is less clear how COVID-19 stressful experiences impact young people's daily lives in the post-pandemic "new normal." Drawing on 7-day diary reports, the present study fills this gap by examining: (1) how daily perceived stress impacted daily emotional adjustment; and (2) the moderating effects of COVID-19 stressful experiences on these associations among 582 Chinese young adults (Mage = 18.12, SD =.65; 69% females). Results indicated that higher levels of both trait (i.e., average levels) and state (i.e., daily fluctuations) perceived stress were associated with greater negative and anxious moods, and that prior pandemic-related experiences exacerbated the adverse impact of both trait and state perceived stress on daily moods. Specifically, young adults reporting greater COVID-19 stressful experiences demonstrated poorer emotional adjustment (i.e., lower levels of positive mood and higher levels of negative mood) on days when they had more fluctuations in perceived stress; the aggravating impact was stronger when the average levels of perceived stress were higher. By illuminating the moderating effects of COVID-19 stressful experiences, this study contributes to the limited, but burgeoning, research examining the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on daily emotional adjustment in post-pandemic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drastically disrupting daily routines, the global pandemic of COVID-19 has posed critical mental health threats to adolescents and young adults worldwide. Many of the extant empirical findings, however, have focused on individuals' psychological adjustment during the initial phase of the pandemic. It is less clear how COVID-19 stressful experiences impact young people's daily lives in the post-pandemic "new normal." Drawing on 7-day diary reports, the present study fills this gap by examining: (1) how daily perceived stress impacted daily emotional adjustment; and (2) the moderating effects of COVID-19 stressful experiences on these associations among 582 Chinese young adults (Mage = 18.12, SD =.65; 69% females). Results indicated that higher levels of both trait (i.e., average levels) and state (i.e., daily fluctuations) perceived stress were associated with greater negative and anxious moods, and that prior pandemic-related experiences exacerbated the adverse impact of both trait and state perceived stress on daily moods. Specifically, young adults reporting greater COVID-19 stressful experiences demonstrated poorer emotional adjustment (i.e., lower levels of positive mood and higher levels of negative mood) on days when they had more fluctuations in perceived stress; the aggravating impact was stronger when the average levels of perceived stress were higher. By illuminating the moderating effects of COVID-19 stressful experiences, this study contributes to the limited, but burgeoning, research examining the prolonged impact of the COVID-19 health crisis on daily emotional adjustment in post-pandemic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resilience-based interventions can improve positive psychosocial resources for vulnerable children. However, it is unclear about the neural mechanism of how psychosocial resources are enhanced by resilience-based intervention in AIDS orphans. To fill this gap, we designed a six-week resilience-based intervention for twenty AIDS orphans raised in institutions (age:15.75 ± 1.97). The efficacy of the intervention was evaluated by employing a pre- and post-intervention study design, with multilevel estimations at the baseline and completion phase, and a follow-up behavioral estimation 8 months afterward. We found that AIDS orphans' optimism about the future (p =.01) and perceived teachers' support (p =.02) increased significantly after resilience-based intervention, these gains were still maintained after 8-months. Moreover, the changes in optimism about future could be predicted by both intervention-caused alterations and baselines of the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations in putamen; the changes in perceived teachers' support could be predicted by both intervention-caused alterations and baselines of the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations in postcentral gyrus. These findings indicated the potential intervention-specific neural changes in AIDS orphans along with the improvement of psychosocial resource. Our study contributed to optimizing the person-centered treatment and advancing the precision mental health of vulnerable children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal growth initiative has been regarded as a protective factor for depression, but until now, the mediating mechanism is not precise. The present study investigated the role of need for cognition (NFC) and need for affect (NFA) (i.e., approach and avoidance) in the relationship between personal growth initiative and depression. We investigated 1652 senior school students (aged 14 to 18) to construct structural equation models. We uncovered two key findings. First of all, the NFA approach and the need for cognition mediated the effect of personal growth initiative on depression independently. More importantly, personal growth initiative influenced depression through the chain mediating effect of "NFA approach-NFC" and "NFC-NFA approach". These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the links between these factors and suggest that high personal growth initiative may reduce depression from the need perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People who believe that their socioeconomic status (SES) can be changed—with growth mindset or incremental implicit theory of SES—tend to have better psychological well‐being. Nevertheless, it remains unclear on why growth mindset of SES benefits well‐being. The present research aims to answer this question by investigating the longitudinal associations between mindset of SES and well‐being (i.e. depression and anxiety) and a potential mechanism (i.e. self‐esteem). We recruited 600 adults in Guangzhou, China, as participants in this study. Participants completed a list of questionnaires containing measures of mindset of SES, self‐esteem, depression, and anxiety at three time points over the course of 18 months. The cross‐lagged panel model showed that individuals holding a growth mindset of SES reported significantly lower depression and anxiety 1 year later, but the effect was not sustained later. More importantly, self‐esteem accounted for the associations of mindset of SES with both depression and anxiety, such that individuals with growth mindset of SES had higher self‐esteem, and in turn, demonstrated lower depression and anxiety over 18 months. These findings deepen the understanding of the salutary effects of implicit theories of SES on psychological well‐being. Implications for future research and mindset‐related interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social aggression referred to the intentionally antisocial behavior directed to damage others' social reputations or interpersonal relationships through socially manipulative tactics. Sufficient evidence demonstrated the potential role of personality traits such as Machiavellianism in increasing social aggression. However, little was known about the brain structure basis of social aggression and how Machiavellianism and the underlying neuroanatomical mechanisms linked to social aggression. In this investigation, we examined these issues in a sample of 176 undergraduate students via voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The whole-brain regression analyses indicated that the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) was linked to both Machiavellianism and social aggression. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that the rGMV of the overlapping SFG mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and social aggression, as well as Machiavellianism mediated the relation between the rGMV of the overlapping region in the SFG and social aggression. These results indicated that Machiavellianism and social aggression shared the common brain correlates in left SFG and provided two possible mediation models regarding the relationship among Machiavellianism, the feature of brain structure and social aggression. Taken together, our study provided the first anatomical evidence that the SFG as the key region related to social aggression, and discovered the possibly underlying brain-personality mechanism behind the development of social aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research examining parent-child separation and the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning has primarily focused on separation due to parental divorce or loss or forced migration. Less clear is the impact of parental economic migration on adolescents' HPA axis functioning. The present study fills this gap by examining diurnal cortisol patterns among left-behind adolescents who experienced separation from their migrant parents. Participants were 293 Chinese adolescents (33.4% girls, 66.21% left-behind adolescents; Mage = 10.80 years old, SD = 0.82 years). Two-level multilevel modeling was conducted to examine the associations between parent-child separation experiences and diurnal cortisol patterns. Although no significant differences were found between left-behind adolescents and their non-left-behind peers, results revealed that left-behind adolescents who experienced parent-child separation at earlier ages had more blunted diurnal cortisol slopes (usually signaling poorer mental and physical health), compared to their counterparts who experienced separation at older ages. Left-behind adolescent girls who had more adverse separation experiences exhibited smaller waking cortisol and blunted diurnal slopes; these findings were not observed among left-behind adolescent boys. Observing the association between timing of parent-child separation and adolescents' diurnal cortisol and the moderating effects of child sex, this study contributes uniquely to the developmental science of left-behind adolescents' physiological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

College students are vulnerable to psychological distress during COVID-19 due to pandemic-related stressors. In response to psychological distress, college students engage in various coping behaviors, such as self-care behaviors and substance use. The transactional model of stress and coping depicts a cognitive appraisal process in the stress-coping association. Psychological resilience is an essential factor for the cognitive appraisal. This study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of resilience on psycho-behavioral health in response to COVID-19 stressors. Longitudinal data were collected from 1,225 Chinese college students via web-based anonymous surveys at wave 1 (T1, between Jan 31 and Feb 11, 2020) and wave 2 (T2, between Mar 20 and Apr 3, 2020). Participants reported their COVID-19 stressors (T1), resilience (T1), psychological distress (depression and anxiety; T2), and coping behaviors (self-care behaviors, drinking, and smoking; T2). Path analysis was used for data analyses. Resilience mediated the association between COVID-19 stressors and psychological distress. Resilience together with psychological distress mediated the association of COVID-19 stressors with self-care behaviors or drinking. Resilience appears to offer protection that promotes psycho-behavioral health in college students in the face of COVID-19 stressors. Interventions for college students should attend to resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence of a clear association between students' perceived stress and their adjustment to life at college. However, the predictors and implications of distinct changing patterns of perceived stress during the transition to college life are less clear. To address these research gaps, the current study aims to identify distinct patterns of perceived stress trajectories among 582 Chinese first-year college students (Mage = 18.11, SDage = 0.65; 69.40% female) across the first 6 months upon enrollment. Three distinct profiles of perceived stress trajectories, i.e., low-stable (15.63%), middle-decreasing (69.07%), and high-decreasing (15.29%), were identified. Moreover, individuals who followed the low-stable trajectory showed better distal outcomes (specifically, higher levels of well-being and academic adjustment) 8 months after enrollment than those who followed the other two trajectories. Furthermore, two types of positive mindset (a growth mindset of intelligence and a stress-is-enhancing mindset) contributed to differences in perceived stress trajectory, either independently or jointly. These findings highlight the significance of identifying different patterns of perceived stress among students during the transition to college, as well as the protective roles of both a stress mindset and a mindset of intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer victimization is detrimental to child mental health. Research has indicated a reciprocal relationship between peer victimization and mental health problems. Yet limited evidence was from children and adolescents in China. The present study used the random intercepts cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) to examine both between‐person and within‐person associations between peer victimization and depressive symptoms among Chinese children and adolescents. Participants were 1205 Chinese students (Mage = 11.27 years; ranged from 9 to 15 years; SD = 1.75; 55% boys) who completed four surveys (Time 1 to Time 4) between 2017 and 2019 on demographics, peer victimization, and depressive symptoms. At the between‐person level, peer victimization was positively associated with depressive symptoms. Controlling for between‐person effects, RI‐CLPM suggested positive within‐person effects from peer victimization to depressive symptoms across adjacent waves. The model also suggested a positive within‐person effect from Time 2 depressive symptoms to Time 3 peer victimization. The multi‐group analysis showed that these effects did not differ by gender, age, or subjective socioeconomic status. Peer victimization and depression appear to be reciprocally related at the transitioning period between late childhood and early adolescence in Chinese students. Mental health interventions should attend to peer victimization for children and adolescents in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before herd immunity is reached, preventive practices still play an important role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Adherence to preventive behaviors could be determined by individuals' health beliefs, which would be influenced by antecedent factors such as previous exposure to pandemic stressors. Applying the health belief model (HBM), this study aims to examine the mediation association among COVID-19 stressors, HBM constructs, and preventive behaviors. Longitudinal data were collected from 1225 Chinese college students using web-based surveys at wave 1 (w1; between January 31 and February 11, 2020) and wave 2 (w2; between March 20 and April 3, 2020). Participants reported their COVID-19 stressors (w1), five HBM constructs (w2), and preventive behaviors (w1 and w2). Paired t-tests suggested that social distancing and self-quarantine behaviors decreased while precautionary behaviors increased from w1 to w2. Path analysis indicated that two HBM constructs (perceived barriers and self-efficacy) mediated the association between COVID-19 stressors and precautionary behaviors. These findings suggested that tailored prevention intervention for college students should attend to perceived barriers and self-efficacy. Individuals who exposed to multiple pandemic stressors merit particular attention and intervention should account for their early pandemic stress experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How can we help Chinese youth thrive? To begin to address this question, the present study explored the promotive factors (i.e., the individual strengths and environmental assets) that enhance Chinese youths' healthy development. Interviews were conducted with Chinese adolescents (n = 12), their teachers (n = 12), and their parents (n = 20). Findings highlight six individual strengths, including goal setting, sparks, self-reliance, goal-oriented hard work, self-improvement, and intention to contribute, and four categories of environmental assets, including supportive relational networks, rules and expectations, opportunities and activities, and promotive climates. Some of the promotive factors that emerged are similar to ones identified as relevant to western youth, and others appear to be particular to Chinese youth. Findings have important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in supporting the healthy development of Chinese adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of positive youth development (PYD) and life course theory, this study was designed to examine patterns of PYD and promotive factors over the first semester of Chinese high school with a sample of 480 students (boys, 43.96%). The growth mixture model identified four trajectories of PYD, labeled high start–fast decreasing, high start–low decreasing, low start–low increasing, and mid–persistent. Results also showed that membership in a PYD trajectory is significantly related to three promotive factors: parental involvement, teacher involvement, and intentional self‐regulation. These findings have important theoretical and practical insights for a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms of positive development in adolescents following the critical period surrounding the transition to high school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying is a growing concern in China, yet there are few validated scales designed to measure different types of bullying among Chinese children. In this present study, a bilingual team of researchers use a forward-backward translation process to adapt the Bullying, Harassment, and Aggression Receipt Measure (BullyHARM) for Chinese youth. BullyHARM has previously been shown to be a reliable scale for measuring six bullying domains (i.e., physical, verbal, social/relational, cyber, property, sexual) among children in the United States (US). After cultural and linguistic adaptation, we enrolled 397 middle school students from Beijing, China in a validation study to assess the psychometric properties of the new BullyHARM-China scale. Results of confirmatory factor analysis suggest the final 21-item scale displays strong internal consistency. Consistent with findings from the US, the first-order model of six factors (i.e., six bullying subscales) displays the best fit to the data. Our findings suggest that BullyHARM-China is a reliable tool for measuring bullying victimization among Chinese students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has posed critical challenges for child and adolescent health. Prior research, however, has mostly focused on mental health, adult samples, and cross-sectional designs. Using latent change score modeling, this study addressed this gap by examining problem behaviors (operationalized as non-suicidal self-injury behaviors, smartphone addiction, and excessive screen time) under pandemic conditions, by comparing their behaviors before (December 2019) versus during the pandemic (June 2020), among 1,149 disadvantaged children and adolescents from rural China (Mage=11.86, SD =1.6, age range=9 to 16 years; 62% males). Findings observed increases in problem behaviors during the pandemic in comparison to children and adolescents' pre-pandemic behaviors. Risk and protective factors were associated with changes in these problem behaviors. Specifically, prior adverse experiences were linked to more non-suicidal self-injury behaviors and greater smartphone addiction before the pandemic; children with more exposure to childhood adversities experienced more excessive hours of screen time before the pandemic but fewer increases in screen time amid the pandemic. More pandemic-related stress experiences were associated with behavioral health risk (i.e., more increases in non-suicidal self-injury behaviors and smartphone addiction). For protective factors, family support was associated with fewer increases in non-suicidal self-injury behaviors during the pandemic. Older (relative to younger) children had fewer increases in non-suicidal self-injury behaviors but more increases in excessive screen time amid the pandemic. This study extends the literature by illuminating behavioral changes under pandemic conditions, and contributes uniquely to developmental research more broadly by highlighting risk and protective factors associated with changes in problem behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child abuse is associated with alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. However, the unique effects of psychological and physical abuse and protective factors against these effects remain largely unknown. To close these gaps, the present study examined the unique effects of psychological and physical abuse on cortisol stress response and explored the moderating role of psychosocial resources in these associations among a sample of Chinese preadolescent children (N = 150; aged 9–13 years; Mage = 10.69 years; 51% boys). The results showed that both psychological and physical abuse were associated with blunted cortisol reactivity slopes. Psychological abuse, but not physical abuse, was associated with lower peak cortisol values and flatter cortisol recovery slopes. Further, psychosocial resources moderated the association between abuse and hyporesponsiveness of the HPA axis. The association between psychological abuse and lower peak cortisol values and the association between physical abuse and steeper cortisol recovery slopes (faster cortisol recovery following the stressor) were observed only among children with low levels of psychosocial resources. These findings indicate the differential effects of psychological and physical abuse on various phases of cortisol stress response, and the protective role of psychosocial resources. This study also has practical implications, given that preadolescence serves as a critical period for maximizing benefit of interventions of adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents facing adversities are susceptible to depression and sleep problems. Resilience is an important protective mechanism for coping with adversity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents faced hardships including being pulled from their schools and being unable to socialize with friends during mandated lockdowns. We had three aims in this study. First, we sought to test whether Chinese adolescents' resilience was strengthened, maintained, or weakened during the COVID-19 lockdown. Second, we sought to test whether adolescents' resilience predicted depressive symptoms and in turn, sleep problems. Third, we sought to examine the role social support may play. In a partially-longitudinal survey study, we demonstrated via a within-subject t-test and its Bayesian equivalent that Chinese adolescents' resilience weakened during the lockdown compared with before the pandemic. However, resilience remained an important predictor: A mediation model demonstrated that higher resilience was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, which in turn predicted fewer sleep problems. Moreover, we found that social support moderated this mediation: Strong social support reduced the negative effects of low resilience levels. These results help shed light on the fragility of resilience, its importance for adolescents' mental health when facing adversity, and how we might support adolescents experiencing social distancing mandates or who are otherwise isolated from their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although COVID-19 vaccines hold the potential to dramatically alter the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy remains a serious threat to the management and control of COVID-19 infections. Vaccination of young adults plays a crucial role in achieving herd immunity. However, the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among the youth in China have not been fully explored. Our study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of perceived health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Methods: This survey was conducted among Chinese college students during September and October, 2020. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was defined as the likelihood that participants would get a COVID-19 vaccine. A mediation analysis was employed to explore the direct and indirect effects of perceived health literacy on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Results: A total of 2,587 college students were included in our study. The results of the survey revealed that the majority (80.40%) of the participants expressed high COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. After controlling for demographic characteristics, the relationship between perceived health literacy and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was mediated by positive attitudes toward general vaccination (std.β = 0.004, p = 0.037) and self-efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine (std.β = 0.053, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings suggest that interventions targeting health literacy to promote COVID-19 vaccination coverage might consider placing greater emphasis on enhancing the positive attitude towards and self-efficacy of vaccines among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of a Chinese version of the 5-C Model of positive youth development (PYD), originally developed in the U.S., with a sample of rural and urban young adolescents in China. The Cs represent five youth strengths: competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection. The results of the exploratory factor analyses showed a reasonable data fit with the 5-C Model. The total and subscale scores evinced good internal reliability (α =.7 to.9) and the confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the convergence of the five Cs on a second-order latent factor of PYD, showing adequate goodness of fit (CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.04). Metric and scalar invariance were found across gender. Metric and partial scalar invariance were found for rural-urban groups. Supportive evidence on convergent and discriminatory validity was also found. We conclude that the Chinese version of the 5-C PYD Scale is a reliable and valid instrument, with good construct validity for Chinese young adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies indicate that parental psychological control and behavioral control play crucial roles in the positive development of adolescents. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of the associations between parental psychological control and behavioral control and positive youth development (PYD). The present study sought to examine the role of basic psychological needs satisfaction as a mediator of the association between parental psychological control and behavioral control and PYD. Two-wave longitudinal data were collected from a sample of 783 young Chinese adolescents (427 boys, Mage = 10.87, SDage =.94) who enrolled in three primary schools in Beijing, China. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that basic psychological needs satisfaction mediated the associations between parental psychological control and behavioral control and PYD six months later. Moreover, results of multiple-group invariance analysis indicated no gender differences in the indirect effects of parental psychological control and behavioral control on PYD six months later through basic psychological needs satisfaction. Implications for future research and practices for parents and school practitioners are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived discrimination is associated with poorer psychological adjustment and greater problem behaviors among rural-to-urban migrant adolescents. Yet, the predictors and the consequences of distinct changing patterns of perceived discrimination are less clear. The current study sought to identify distinct patterns of perceived discrimination trajectories and examine the developmental implications of these patterns among 385 Chinese rural-to-urban migrant early adolescents (Mage = 10.49, SDage = 0.69; 62% boys). Four distinct patterns of perceived discrimination trajectories, i.e., Low-stable (79.59%), Decreasing (9.08%), High-stable (6.11%), and Increasing (5.22%), were identified. Predictors including resilience, family support, peer support, and demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and school types) contributed to differences in pattern membership. Moreover, the Low-stable pattern exhibited more favorable distal outcomes (i.e., lower levels of social anxiety and loneliness and higher levels of self-esteem) than the other three patterns; the Decreasing group had lower levels of loneliness than the High-stable group. The findings extend the understanding of the predictors and consequences of perceived discrimination among rural-to-urban migrant early adolescents from a developmental perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children exposed to peer victimization are at increased risk for psychopathology. However, the physiological mechanisms linking peer victimization to child psychopathology and the potential gender differences in these links remain inadequately understood. The present study examined whether cortisol reactivity to acute stress mediated the associations between relational and physical victimization and internalizing and externalizing problems and whether these associations differed between boys and girls. A sample of 150 Chinese children (aged 9–13 years; Mage = 10.69 years; 51% boys) reported experiences of relational and physical victimization and participated in a standardized laboratory psychosocial stress task, during which six salivary cortisol samples were collected. Parents or primary caregivers reported their children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Overall, neither physical nor relational victimization was associated with cortisol reactivity. However, when examined separately by gender, relational victimization was associated with blunted cortisol reactivity for boys but not for girls. Further, among boys but not girls, relational victimization was indirectly associated with internalizing and externalizing problems via blunted cortisol reactivity. Our findings suggest that blunted cortisol reactivity may serve as a physiological pathway linking peer victimization to psychopathology for boys but not for girls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aims to investigate the mediating effect of perceived control over the future and the moderating effect of empathy on the association between stressful experiences and PTSD symptoms among college students in China in response to COVID-19. A sample of 1,225 college students (70.69% were female, M age = 20.22 years, SD  = 2.02) were recruited using web-based surveys at wave 1 (W1) and wave 2 (W2) longitudinally. Results showed that COVID-19-related stressful experiences were significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. Perceived control over the future partially mediated the relationship between these two variables (indirect effect size  = 0.09, p < 0.01). Empathy significantly moderated the path from perceived control over the future to PTSD symptoms, suggesting that the association was stronger for individuals with higher levels of empathy. Findings suggest a protective effect of perceived control over the future on college students' PTSD symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such a protective effect was intensified by empathy. Future intervention to manage PTSD symptoms should be tailored to positive future expectations and empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking an integrative etic-emic approach, the current study aimed at developing a culturally contextualized positive youth development (PYD) scale in China. We collected survey data from one sample of 695 adolescents (321 girls, Mage = 13.82 years) to identify appropriate items and structure for the measure through a series of exploratory factor analyses. We then collected survey data from another sample of 1,404 adolescents (611 girls, Mage = 13.89 years) to examine the measure's reliability, validity, and measurement invariance. Results revealed a four-factor Chinese PYD measure, which showed good psychometric qualities and possessed measurement invariance across gender and age groups. The Chinese PYD measure shared theoretical foundations with the US-based PYD model, but also demonstrated unique definitions and manifestations for some PYD indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined what, if any, patterns of parental control are associated with multiple indicators of psychosocial well‐being and whether changes in these patterns over time predict subsequent psychosocial well‐being. Latent profile analyses and latent transition analyses were applied to identify subgroups of parental control and transitions of these patterns over time among rural‐to‐urban migrant adolescents who participated in two waves of surveys with 6‐month interval in 2014 (NT1 = 660, NT2 = 553). Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore their relationship with psychosocial well‐being. Four latent profiles were identified based on levels of parental control at wave 1 and wave 2, respectively. The high psychological and behavioral control (HPHB) group was associated with worse psychosocial well‐being whereas the low psychological control and high behavioral control (LPHB) group exhibited opposite relationships. Six transitioning groups were identified: "stably low‐risk" (14.92%), "stably medium‐risk" (7.37%), "stably high‐risk" (24.49%), "floating LPHB" (26.52%), "high‐decreasing" (15.10%), and "low‐increasing" (11.60%) groups. The "stably high‐risk" and "low‐increasing" groups showed a higher risk in psychosocial well‐being. Youth exhibiting higher risks of parental control (i.e. individuals in HPHB groups and higher‐risk transition patterns over time) should prioritize for interventions and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although migration is recognized as a significant social determinant of health, the association between migration and health remains an understudied topic within internal and international migrant populations. Keywords: Editorial; Health; Migraton; Translation to action EN Editorial Health Migraton Translation to action 487 490 4 08/11/21 20210801 NES 210801 The number of migrants globally has reached an unprecedented level, with approximately 272 million international migrants worldwide (International Organization for Migration, 2020) and an estimated 763 million internal migrants (UNESCO, 2019). [Extracted from the article]

Using data collected from two provinces in China through an online survey, the current study aimed to investigate left‐behind children's emotional and academic adjustment during the COVID‐19 pandemic in China. The participants included 1780 left‐behind (960 boys) and 1500 non‐left‐behind (811 boys) children in elementary and junior high school with a mean age of 11.23. Self‐reported questionnaires concerning children's depression, loneliness, anxiety, and academic adjustment, and parents' coping with children's negative emotions were completed. The results suggested that compared with non‐left‐behind children, left‐behind children's depression and anxiety symptoms were more severe and their academic adjustment was poorer. However, left‐behind children had lower levels of loneliness than non‐left‐behind children. Additionally, supportive coping types, especially emotion‐focused and problem‐focused reactions, were significantly negatively correlated with children's depression and anxiety. Unsupportive coping types, especially distress and punitive reactions, were significantly positively correlated with children's depression and anxiety symptoms. Moreover, the relationships between punitive reactions and depression, ignoring and loneliness and problem‐focused reactions and academic adjustment were significantly stronger in left‐behind children. Hence, during the pandemic, left‐behind children were still at a disadvantage even with their parents' company. However, parents' coping style towards left‐behind children's negative emotions played a significant role in their adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the risk and protective factors of loneliness among Chinese internal migrant children (CIMC) in Beijing, China, including self-esteem, resilience, social support, and acculturative stress. Longitudinal survey data were collected from a large sample of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade CIMC from three schools in Beijing, at four time points (N = 862 at T1 to N = 837 at T4) over a 20-month period. Grounded in the Cultural and Contextual Model of Coping and the Acculturation Theory, two predictor models of loneliness were tested with path analysis. The results yielded the following: a) the two predictor models fit the data well; b) CIMC's T1 self-esteem and T1 resilience protected them against loneliness at T4; and c) CIMC's T2 social support seeking was a significant mediator between self-esteem and loneliness, and between resilience and loneliness; and d) similarly, CIMC's T3 acculturative stress was a significant mediator between self-esteem and loneliness, and between resilience and loneliness. The study's results highlight the merit and importance of implementing theoretically-guided, model-testing research grounded in a prospective research design, to help advance CIMC research. Implications for future research on and practical support for CIMC are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Influence of migration on externalized behavioral problems (e.g., aggressive) among adolescents has been well assessed, yet lifestyle behaviors of migrant, left-behind and local adolescents have been largely overlooked by researchers and policy-makers. Therefore, this study aimed to identify clustering of multiple lifestyle behaviors and their associations with migrant status among Chinese adolescents.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 in Beijing, and Wuhu city (Anhui province). Adolescents self-reported age, gender, family economic status, migrant situation, and lifestyle behaviors (i.e., physical activity, screen time, sleep, smoke, soft-drink, alcohol, fruit and vegetable consumption) via a battery of validated questionnaires. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify behavioral clusters using Mplus 7.1. ANOVA, and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine associations between migrant situations and behavioral clusters using SPSS 22.Results: Three distinct behavioral clusters were exhibited among 1364 students (mean age: 13.41 ± 0.84 years): "low risk" (N = 847), "moderate risk" (N = 412) and "high risk" (N = 105). The "high-risk" cluster had the highest prevalence of adolescents not meeting healthy behavioral recommendations. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of high-risk lifestyle among migrant, left-behind, rural local and urban local adolescents. But migrant adolescents had the lowest prevalence of low-risk lifestyle, followed by left-behind, rural and urban local adolescents. Moreover, compared with urban local, migrant (OR = 2.72, 95%CI: 1.88,3.94), left-behind (OR = 2.28, 95%CI: 1.46, 3.55), and rural local (OR = 1.76, 95%CI:1.03,3.01) adolescents had a higher risk of moderate-risk lifestyle.Conclusions: Clustering of assessed lifestyle behaviors differed by the migrant status. Particularly, migrant and left-behind adolescents were more likely to have moderate-risk lifestyle compared with their counterparts. Interventions that promote moderate to vigorous physical activity and consumption of fruits and vegetables simultaneously are needed among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has made unprecedented impact on the psychological health of university students, a population vulnerable to distress and mental health disorders. This study investigated psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress) during state-enforced quarantine among university students in China (N = 1912) through a cross-sectional survey during March and April 2020.Results: Psychiatric symptoms were alarmingly prevalent: 67.05% reported traumatic stress, 46.55% had depressive symptoms, and 34.73% reported anxiety symptoms. Further, 19.56% endorsed suicidal ideation. We explored risk and protective factors of psychological health, including demographic variables, two known protective factors for mental health (mindfulness, perceived social support), four COVID-specific factors (COVID-19 related efficacy, perceived COVID-19 threat, perceived COVID-19 societal stigma, COVID-19 prosocial behavior) and screen media usage. Across symptom domains, mindfulness was associated with lower symptom severity, while COVID-19 related financial stress, perceived COVID-19 societal stigma, and perceived COVID-19 threat were associated with higher symptom severity. COVID-19 threat and COVID-19 stigma showed main and interactive effects in predicting all mental health outcomes, with their combination associated with highest symptom severity. Screen media device usage was positively associated with depression. Female gender and COVID-19 prosocial behavior were associated with higher anxiety, while COVID-19 self-efficacy associated with lower anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: Findings suggest high need for psychological health promotion among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic and inform an ecological perspective on the detrimental role of stigma during an emerging infectious disease outbreak. Interventions targeting multi-level factors, such as promoting mindfulness and social support at individual and interpersonal levels while reducing public stigma about COVID-19, may be particularly promising. Attending to the needs of disadvantaged groups including those financially impacted by COVID-19 is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals' stress in responding to the current COVID-19 pandemic may be exacerbated by information uncertainty driven by inconsistent, unverified, and conflicting news from various sources. The current study aims to test if information uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak was related to acute stress disorder (ASD) over and above other psychosocial stressors.Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted with 7800 college students throughout China from January 31 through February 11, 2020. Existing scales were modified to measure ASD and six potential stressors including information uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to assess the unique association of information uncertainty with ASD. To minimize the effect of large sample size and also to get a sense of whether the effects of information uncertainty were similar to people at the center of the epidemic, we repeated the hierarchical regression among 10% of the students who were randomly selected from the entire sample ("10% random sample"; n = 780) and 226 students from Hubei Province where the outbreak started.Results: Information uncertainty was highly prevalent among the respondents (64%). It was significantly associated with ASD beyond other key variables and potential stressors across three samples. In the hierarchical regression among the entire sample, demographic variables accounted for 9.4% of the variance in ASD. The other five stressors added 5.1% of the variance. The information uncertainty (β = .159; p < .001) explained an additional 2.1% of the variance. Likewise, the information uncertainty explained an additional 2.1 and 3.4% of the variance in ASD beyond all other variables among the 10% random sample (β = .165; p < .001) and the Hubei sample (β = .196; p < .01), respectively.Conclusion: Information uncertainty is a unique correlate of psychological stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. Reducing information uncertainty is essential not only for halting virus transmission but also for mitigating negative impacts of the pandemic on people's psychosocial wellbeing. Transparent, timely, and accurate communication can reduce public confusion, fear, and stress. Capacity building in governments, communities, and media outlets to prevent, reduce and manage information uncertainty should be a critical part of the response to an emerging global health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic outbreak might induce acute stress disorder (ASD) to people living in the epidemic regions. The current study aims to investigate the association of COVID‐19‐related stressful experiences with ASD and possible psychological mechanisms of the association among college students. Methods: Data were collected from 7,800 college students via an online survey during the initial stage of the COVID‐19 outbreak in China (from 31 January to 11 February 2020). Existing scales were adapted to measure stressful experiences, resilience, coping, social support, and ASD symptoms. Path analysis was employed to examine the research hypotheses. Results: Among the 7,800 college students, 61.53% were women and their mean age was 20.54 years. Both direct and indirect effects from COVID‐19‐related stressful experiences to ASD symptoms were significant. The relationship between COVID‐19‐related stressful experiences and ASD could be mediated by resilience (β = 0.01, p <.001), adaptive coping strategies (β = 0.02, p <.001), and social support (β = 0.01, p <.001); while not being significantly mediated by maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusion: The findings presented the ASD symptoms related to the COVID‐19 outbreak and the mediating role of interpersonal and intrapersonal factors in the association. Identifying the risk and protective factors is important to reduce acute psychological responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that perceived discrimination is negatively correlated with children's psychological development. However, how perceived group discrimination (PGD) leads to negative adjustment is not known. For 692 Chinese rural‐to‐urban migrant children, we examined the relations between PGD and both behavioral and emotional adaptation (antisocial behavior and positive affect), as mediated by collective self‐esteem (CSE) and personal self‐esteem (PSE). Children (50.7% boys; Mage = 13.37 years) completed questionnaires on PGD, antisocial behavior, positive affect, CSE, and PSE. PGD was positively associated with antisocial behavior and negatively associated with positive affect according to structural equation modeling. CSE and PSE accounted for some of the PGD related to antisocial behavior and fully accounted for PGD effects on positive affect. These findings suggested that the combination of CSE and PSE is a potential mechanism that underlies PGD associated with both antisocial behavior and positive affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies revealed that experiences of stigma might negatively affect health service utilization (HSU) among young rural-to-urban migrants. Existing literature also suggested social factors including social capital might mediate such negative effect. However, data are limited regarding the mediation role of social capital among this vulnerable population. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the associations among experiences of stigma, social capital, and HSU among young rural-to-urban migrants in China. A sample of 641 young rural-to-urban migrants was recruited through a venue-based sampling approach in Beijing, China. Participants were assessed on sociodemographic characteristics, experiences of stigma, and social capital in their urban communities. Self-reported frequency of physical examinations (regularly, irregularly, none) was used as an indicator of HSU. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the direct effect of stigma on HSU as well as the mediation effect of social capital. Among the 641 young rural-to-urban migrants, 32.3% (195/603) reported never having physical examinations while 50.6% (305/603) reported having them irregularly. The final model showed a goodness of fit (χ2/df = 1.7, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.03, WRMR = 0.74). Results of SEM revealed that both of the direct and indirect paths from experiences of stigma on HSU were statistically significant. There was a partial mediation effect of social capital on the association between experiences of stigma and HSU (delta z score = −5.49, p < 0.01). Rural-to-urban migrants had a low rate of regular HSU. Experiences of stigma were associated with decreased likelihood of HSU. Social capital in the urban communities could mediate the negative effect of stigma on HSU and played a mediation role between experiences of stigma and HSU. Therefore, to increase HSU among migrants, targeted interventions to reduce stigma and increase social capital at the migration destinations are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the mechanisms of how experiences of stigma affect suicidal behaviors through depression and substance use among migrant workers in China. A sample of 641 young rural-to-urban migrants was recruited in Beijing, China. Participants were assessed on their sociodemographic characteristics, suicidal behaviors, experiences of stigma, depression, and substance use. Path analysis was used to examine the relationship between experiences of stigma and suicidal behaviors as well as the mechanistic roles of depression and substance use. The path model showed a good model fit. While the direct path from experiences of stigma to suicidal behaviors was not significant, the indirect paths between these two concepts were significant. Experiences of stigma were positively associated with both depression and substance use, which in turn were positively related to suicidal behaviors. The chain effect from experiences of stigma, depression, substance use to suicidal behaviors was also significant. To prevent and reduce suicidal behaviors among migrant workers, targeted interventions focusing on reducing experiences of stigma and improving mental and behavioral health are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated that subjective socio‐economic status (SES) and school social capital are associated with a wide range of socio‐emotional outcomes for children. Less is known about whether subjective SES is linked to overall child development and whether school social capital is a mediator in developing countries. The current study aimed to examine the association between subjective SES and positive youth development (PYD) among young adolescents in China, explore whether student–teacher relationships and student–student relationships mediated this association, and test whether there were gender differences in these associations. The analytical sample included a total of 1011 seventh‐graders (mean age = 13.24, SD =.69; 53.70% boys) recruited from Beijing and Anhui Provinces. The results showed that subjective SES was positively and significantly associated with PYD and that student–teacher relationships and student–student relationships played independent and joint mediating roles in the link between the two constructs. In addition, girls benefited more than boys from having closer relationships with teachers. Our findings highlight the importance of promoting school social capital in reducing PYD disparities across subjective SES levels, and suggest that school should be an effective venue for interventions to promote PYD among young adolescents in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of a pilot trial of a resilience‐based intervention programme designed to decrease depression symptoms and improve protective factors (e.g. personal assets, social resources, cultural adaptation self‐efficacy, interpreting adversity, and self‐esteem) among rural‐to‐urban migrant children in China. Methods: Participants were 285 fourth and fifth graders from two migrant children schools in Beijing. One school was cluster‐randomly assigned as the intervention group (n = 127) and the other was assigned as the wait‐list control group (n = 158). Data were collected at baseline and post‐intervention with a follow‐up rate of 96.8 per cent. Results: Multivariate analyses found significantly greater increases in social resources, cultural adaptation self‐efficacy, and making positive sense of adversity in the intervention group than in the control group. In the intervention group, migrant children who had moved more often reported a higher increase in personal assets than those who had fewer mobility experience. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the resilience‐based intervention can be efficacious in improving resilience among migrant children in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rural China, left-behind children are likely to suffer chronic loneliness. Research has identified a variety of factors that may be associated with loneliness among these children. A meta-analysis is needed to address the empirical inconsistencies and examine the strength of relations between different factors and loneliness. The current meta-analysis included 51 studies on predictors of loneliness published from 2008 to 2017. Results showed that one individual factor (social anxiety) is a key risk factor for loneliness, whereas eight individual (older age, self-esteem, resilience, extroversion) and contextual factors (family functioning, parent–child relationship, peer relationship, social support) serve as protective factors in predicting loneliness. In addition, boys were more likely to feel lonely than girls. Findings and implications of this study were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using cross-sectional data of the children in the Guizhou Province of China, the present study examined the association between stressful life events and self-esteem, depression, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The participants included 1,210 children recruited from four junior high schools. Self-report questionnaires concerned stressful life events, self-esteem, depression, and NSSI. Results indicated that Chinese left-behind children who faced more stressful life events were more likely to engage in depression and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Moreover, self-esteem moderated the association between stressful life events and depression, and the association between stressful life events and NSSI. For the left-behind children reporting higher levels of self-esteem, the negative effect of stressful life events on depression and NSSI appeared weaker, compared to those who reported lower levels of self-esteem. In addition, the left-behind type also has a moderating effect on the relationship between stressful life events and NSSI. With the increase of stressful life events, the NSSI among the one-migrating-parent group grows more rapidly than that among the two-migrating-parents group. The findings suggest that self-esteem and left-behind type are important individual factors for Chinese left-behind children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]