The psychological problems and related influential factors of left-behind adolescents (LBA) in Hunan, China: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Due to lack of companionship of parents, compared with non left behind children, left behind children (LBC) suffer from more psychological problems compared with children live with their parents. The aim of this study was to explore the mental health status and the relationship among psychological problems and the related factors of LBC. METHOD: Adopting delaminating-random-group sampling and using region, county, village (town) as sampling framework, we utilized Demographic Data Recording Form, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Events Check List, Scale of APGAR, Perceived Social Support Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Self-Esteem Scale and Scale of Mental Health for Chinese Middle-school Student to assess 1309 left behind child in junior middle school students' mental health in Hunan. Statistic description, Structural equation model was adopted to analyze the data. RESULT: There was a significant difference in score of psychological problems between LBC and non-LBC(F = 18.224, P<0.000). Life event was the major factor(r = .487) that affected psychological problems (path coefficient, PC = 0.08) directly and affect psychological problems indirectly through affecting passive coping (PC = 0.01)and family functioning(PC = 0.02); family functioning impacted psychological problems indirectly through affecting social support (PC = 4.89) and self-esteem (PC = 0.10); social support (PC = -0.02), passive coping (PC =0.07) and active coping PC = -0.04) affected psychological problems directly. Psychoticism (P) (PC = 0.11), Neuroticism (N) influenced psychological problems of LBC both directly (PC = 0.04) and indirectly through affecting self-esteem (PC: P:-1.87; N: -0.83), while Extraversion/Introversion (E) (PC = 0.21) only impact psychological problems indirectly through self-esteem. Altogether, these variables accounted for 50.2% of total variance of psychological problems (F = 130.470, P = 0.000) for LBC. CONCLUSION: In this research we proved that LBC have more sever psychological problems than non-LBC. We also identified the direct and indirect influential factors of psychological problems of LBC. The findings had important implications for prevention policies and interventions to promote mental health of LBC.

Gender Comparison of Psychological Reaction Between Breast Cancer Survivors and Their Spouses.

Background: Scant evidence exists among the different psychological issues between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. The objective of our study was to develop the measuring instrument testing psychological reaction and compare the difference in psychological reaction between patients with breast cancer and their spouses during the period of diagnosis and treatment. Method: The semi-structured interview guideline was guided by the psychological stress model. In-depth interviews were conducted among patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Qualitative data was used to establish the item pool for the psychological reaction. Delphi method was used for item modifications. The items were conducted to find common factors through exploration factor analysis. Comparing the differences of common factors through t-test between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Results: Five couples were interviewed directed by the semi-structured interview guideline. About 38 items were reserved to formulate the questionnaire through the Delphi method. A total of 391 respondents (216 patients and 175 spouses) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. Two common structures were found through exploration factor analysis, which was named as reaction to role and body image change and negative coping reaction. The t-test found that the dimension of reaction to role and body image change (95% CI = 2.34-5.01, p < 0.001) reflects the difference between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Conclusion: The reactions to role and body image change between patients with breast cancer and their spouses are different during the period of diagnosis and treatment. Clinical workers should pay attention to the different reactions and help couples deal with breast cancer smoothly.