The impact of social support on negative emotions among left-behind children in southern China: The mediating role of psychological resilience

The impact of social support on negative emotions among left-behind children in southern China: The mediating role of psychological resilience | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article The impact of social support on negative emotions among left-behind children in southern China: The mediating role of psychological resilience Zhenzhen Wei, Huan Cao, Guoqiu Liu, Ming Hao This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8660271/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: Left-behind children in China are exposed to prolonged parental absence, placing them elevated risk for negative emotions. Although social support is widely recognized as a protective factor, the psychological mechanism through which it influences emotional well-being remain insufficiently understand. In particular, the role of psychological resilience in translating social support into emotional adaption warrants further empirical examination. Methods: Date were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2024 among 1,421 children in rural areas of Jiangxi province, southern China, including left-behind and non-left-behind children. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. Group differences by left-behind status, gender and school stage were examined. Regressed-based mediation analyses with Bootstrap resampling were performed to test the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions, controlling for relevant demographic variables. Results: Left-behind children exhibited higher levels of negative emotions ( P < 0.05) and lower levels of social support ( P < 0.05) and psychological resilience ( P < 0.05) than non-left-behind children. Among left-behind children, girls reported higher negative emotions ( P < 0.001) than boys, and senior high school students showed lower social support ( P < 0.01) and psychological resilience ( P < 0.01) than junior high school students. Mediation analyses revealed that psychological resilience partially mediated the association between social support ( b = 0.060, P ＜ 0.001) and negative emotions ( b = -0.625, P ＜ 0.001). Conclusions: This study identifies psychological resilience as a key mediator linking social support to negative emotions among left-behind children, supporting an external support and internal resources psychological adaptation mechanism. The results further reveal significant gender and grade differences, indicating that effective interventions should emphasize enhancing children’s capacity to transform social support into psychological resilience to promote emotional well-being. Health sciences/Health care Biological sciences/Psychology Social science/Psychology left-behind children social support psychological resilience negative emotions mediation effect Figures Figure 1 Introduction Globally, children who remain in their places of origin as a result of parental domestic or international migration have emerged as a population of striking magnitude. This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in low-and middle-income countries. Available evidence suggests that in Latin America, up to 21% of children are deprived or direct parental care due to their parents’ migration to North America, Europe, or other regions [ 1 ] . In the Philippines, nearly 27% (or 8 million) of children are identified as left-children [ 2 ] , while in rural south Africa, more than 40% of children grow up under comparable circumstances [ 3 ] . In China, the issue of left-behind children has attracted increasing scholarly and policy attention, largely due to the country’s vast population size, large-scale internal labor migration, and distinctive sociocultural context. According to a 2020 report by the China Development Research Foundation, approximately 138 million children nationwide have been affected by parental labor migration, accounting for 46.4% of the total child population. Among them, an estimated 66.93 million are classified as left-behind children, of whom rural children constitute as much as 62.4% [ 4 ] . Some studies have shown that experiences of being left behind are frequently associated with adverse emotional and psychological outcomes and represent a major risk factor for mental health problems during adolescence [ 5 , 6 ] . Accumulating evidence indicates that experiences of being left-behind children are commonly accompanied by adverse emotional responses, including loneliness, low self-esteem, and anxiety [ 6 , 7 ] . When such negative emotional states persist over time without adequate alleviation, they may evolve into depressive symptoms, manifested by a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, decreased appetite, intensified self-denial, and, in severe cases, the emergence of self-harming ideation [ 8 ] . Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated that left-behind children exhibit significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their non-left-behind peers [ 7 – 10 ] . These emotional difficulties not only impair academic performance and peer relationships but may also precipitate crises of self-identity, thereby posing a long-term threat to psychological adjustment. Exiting research has also suggested that gender differences are present, with left-behind girls being more likely to exhibit depressive and anxiety symptoms [ 10 – 12 ] , whereas left-behind boys face elevated risks of aggression and behavioral problems [ 13 , 14 ] . However, existing literature on negative emotional outcomes among left-behind children has largely remained at the level of risk identification, with insufficient attention devoted to the underlying mechanisms and pathways through which such emotional problems develop. Building on this limitation, emerging scholar has suggested that negative emotional outcomes among left-children cannot be understand solely as isolated family-level issue but rather as the result of structural deficiencies in multiple support systems that fail to meet developmental needs [ 15 , 16 ] . Prolonged parental absence due to labor migration deprives these children of their primary attachment figures, thereby weakening their capacity to obtain emotional comfort and a sense of security [ 17 , 18 ] . Nevertheless, evidence also indicates that when intergenerational caregiving is accompanied by appropriate educational approaches and emotional expression, it may partially alleviate psychological difficulties related to academic functioning, peer interactions, and self-identity among left-behind children [ 19 ] . Concurrently, schools can serve as an important source of sustained psychological support through mental health education programs and teacher-based counseling services [ 20 , 21 ] . With this context, increasing scholarly attention has begun to emphasize the pivotal role of social support in the maintenance of children’s mental health [ 15 , 22 ] . Social support denotes the emotional sustenance, informational guidance, and instrumental assistance that individuals can access through their social networks when confronted with stress or adversity [ 23 ] . Although existing research has documented the beneficial effects of social support on children’s psychological well-being from multiple perspectives, significant gaps remain. Most studies conceptualize social support as a unidimensional and linear protective factor, primarily highlighting its direct contribution to improved mental health outcomes [ 22 , 24 ] , while paying insufficient attention to the complexity and contextual dependency of its underlying processes [ 25 ] . In practice, substantial heterogeneity in mental health outcomes can be observed even among individuals exposed to comparable levels of social support, suggesting that the effectiveness of social support may be moderated by internal psychological resources. In this context, psychological resilience has gradually entered the focus of research on left-behind children’s well-being. Resilience refers to a dynamic adaptive capacity that enables individuals to maintain or rapidly restore psychological functioning when faced with significant stress, trauma, or adversity [ 26 ] . Prior research has shown that adolescents with higher levels of resilience are better able to buffer the negative impacts of adverse life events and tend to develop more positive cognitive patterns and adaptive strategies [ 8 , 26 ] . However, much of the existing work continues to treat resilience as a relatively stable individual trait, placing disproportionate emphasis on individual toughness while overlooking the role of external environments and interactive processes in the cultivation of resilience. Take together, although existing research has highlighted the importance of both social support and psychological resilience for children’s mental health, it has yet to adequately elucidate the dynamic mechanisms through which they operate in the development of negative emotional outcomes among left-behind children. Child development constitutes a fundamental pillar of population quality and sustainable societal development. China currently has the second-largest child population in the world, with nearly half of its children being directly affected by population mobility, and the number of left-behind children remaining persistently high [ 4 ] . With the acceleration of urbanization and the continued out-migration of family labor, the population of children affected by migration is expected to further expand [ 27 ] , rendering negative emotional problems among left-behind children increasingly salient. Multiple studies indicate that left-behind children exhibit significantly higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-identity disturbances compared with their non-left-behind peers [ 28 , 29 ] , with these problems showing a sustained upward trend over time [ 30 , 31 ] . Such widespread and deeply rooted psychological difficulties not only threaten children’s immediate well-being and social adjustment but also pose latent risks to future human capital development and social stability. Nevertheless, research on both social support and psychological resilience has largely remained at the level of single-factor or correlational analysis [ 24 , 32 ] , lacking comprehensive theoretical models to examine whether and how social support influences mental health through the pathway of psychological resilience. Against this backdrop, the present study focuses on left-behind children in southern China and introduces psychological resilience as a key mediating variable to examine the mechanisms through which social support affects negative emotional outcomes. By doing so, this study seeks to clarify the internal logic linking social support systems and individual psychological processes, while providing empirical evidence for the development of mental health promotion pathways for left-behind children within China’s specific sociocultural context. In summary, amid China’s rapid social transformation and profound changes in urban-rural structures, research that centers on the mental health of left-behind children is not only of immediate practical significance but also carries substantial implications for public health and social policy. Materials and methods Selection of the study area The survey was conducted in the rural area of Ganzhou and Yichun, two prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province in the southern central part of China. Jiangxi Province has a substantial population of rural left-behind children, estimated at over 602,000, accounting for approximately 10% of the national total [ 33 ] . Within the province, Ganzhou and Yichun represent major concentration areas of left-behind children (with more than 135,000 rural left-behind children reported in Ganzhou in 2022 [ 34 ] and over 680,000 rural left-behind children at the compulsory education stage in Yichun [ 35 ] ), thereby ensuring strong sample representativeness. Furthermore, both study sites have implemented social support initiatives, such as the “Tongxin Gangwan” (Child-Friendly Harbor) project [ 36 ] , thereby providing an appropriate context for examining the mechanisms through which social support operates. Participants and survey design Following the commonly accepted definition used in research on left-behind children in China [ 37 ] , rural left-behind children were defined as middle school students who had at least one parent migrating for employment or related reasons for six months or longer, who resided long-term in their registered place of residence, and who were unable to live with both parents. Participants were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (1) were full-time students enrolled from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and aged 10–17 years; (2) possessed basic language comprehension and expression abilities and were able to complete the questionnaire independently; and (3) voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, with written informed consent obtained from both the participants and their legal guardians. Participants were excluded if they met any of the following conditions: (1) were outside the specified age range; (2) provided invalid questionnaires, defined as having substantial missing data on key items (≥ 10%) or exhibiting evident response patterns (e.g., selecting the same option consecutively across multiple items); or (3) voluntarily withdrew from the study during the data collection process. Date collection was conducted through a standardized online questionnaire platform. Prior to the survey, uniformly trained investigators explained the research purpose, procedures, and participants' rights to both the students and their guardians. Written informed consent was obtained before distributing the questionnaire link. A total of 1,756 questionnaires were distributed. After collection, through dual independent verification and logical validation, 335 invalid questionnaires were excluded, resulting in 1,421 valid responses. The effective questionnaire recovery rate was 80.92%. Questionnaire survey Negative emotions Negative emotions were assessed using the Middle School Students’ Mental Health Scale (MMHI-60). This scale, developed by Professor Wang Jisheng [ 38 ] , is designed to evaluate common psychological problems among middle school students in China. It comprises 60 items covering 10 dimensions, including academic stress, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal relationships, with 6 items per dimension. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher average scores indicate more severe levels of negative emotions. According to the scale’s recommended thresholds, a mean score below 2.00 is considered indicative of the absence of negative emotions, scores ranging from 2.00 to 2.99 are classified as mild symptoms, scores between 3.00 and 3.99 correspond to moderate symptoms, and scores of 4 or above indicate severe symptoms. In the present study, a mean score above 2.00 was used as the cutoff for identifying negative emotions. The scale showed excellent internal consistency in this study, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.975. Social support Social support was measured with the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), designed by Xiao Shuiyuan [ 39 ] . This scale has been widely applied in studies of Chinese adolescents to measure both the quantity and quality of social support received and has demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. The scale consists of 10 items, including subjective support, objective support, and support utilization. Items 1–4 and 8–10 are rated on a four-point Likert scale, whereas Items 6–7 are rated on a three-point Likert scale. In this study, to enhance the applicability of the scale to the study population, Item 4 (“your relationship with colleagues”) was adapted to “your relationship with classmates,” and Item 5 (“support and care received from family members”) was removed. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of perceived social support. In the present study, the scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.700. Psychological resilience Psychological resilience was assessed with the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale, developed by Hu Yueqin and Gan Yiqun [ 40 ] . The scale is designed to assess adolescents’ adaptive capacity, coping ability, and psychological flexibility when confronted with difficulties and adverse. It comprises 27 items rated on a five-point Likert scale, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of psychological resilience and greater capacity to withstand stress and recover from adversity. In the present study, the scale achieved good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.881. General information questionnaire A general information questionnaire was self-designed for this study to collect participants’ basic demographic characteristic, including grade lever, gender, age, left-behind status, and parental migration status. These variables were used for background control and subgroup analyses. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis was conducted in several steps. First, chi-square tests were used for descriptive statistics and and to compare characteristic differences between groups. Subsequently, independent samples t-tests were then performed to examine differences between left-behind children and non-left-behind children in psychological health-related outcomes, thereby identifying group-level variations in psychological characteristics. To further explore the associations among key variables, multiple linear regression analyses were applied to test the relationships between social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. Building on these analyses, mediation models were specified and tested using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS, in order to evaluate the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions. All data management and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS version 27.0. Results Sample characteristics Among the 1,421 valid questionnaires included in the analysis, 221 participants (15.55%) were identified as left-behind children, while 1,200 participants (84.45%) were non-left-behind children. As shown in Table 1 , among the left-behind children, there were 104 boys (47.10%) and 117 girls (52.90%). In terms of grade distribution, 90 participants (40.70%) were junior middle school students and 131 participants (59.30%) were senior high school students. In the non-left-behind children, 542 (45.20%) were boys and 658 (54.80%) were girls. Regarding grade level, 490 (40.80%) were junior high school students and 710 (59.20%) were senior high school students. Table 1 General characteristics of the study participant (n = 1,421). Variable Category Left-behind children Non-left-behind children \(\:{\text{}}^{\text{2}}\) P n Percentage (%) n Percentage (%) Gender Male 104 47.10 542 45.20 0.27 0.604 Female 117 52.90 658 54.80 Grade Junior middle school 90 40.70 490 40.80 0.00 0.976 Senior high school 131 59.30 710 59.20 Group differences in negative emotions, social support, and psychological resilience The results presented in Table 2 shown that left-behind children reported significantly higher levels of negative emotions ( P < 0.01), alongside lower levels of psychological resilience ( P < 0.01), and social support ( P < 0.01) compared with their non-left-behind counterparts. Table 2 Comparisons of negative emotions, social support and psychological resilience between left-behind children and non-left-behind children. Variable Left-behind children (‾x ± s) Non-left-behind children (‾x ± s) t P Negative emotions 2.07 ± 0.66 1.96 ± 0.65 2.35 0.019 Social support 22.60 ± 3.91 23.32 ± 3.91 2.50 0.012 Psychological resilience 3.28 ± 0.55 3.36 ± 0.60 2.15 0.033 Gender and grade differences among left-behind children As shown in Table 3 , girls exhibited significantly higher negative emotions than boys among left-behind children ( P < 0.001), while senior high school students scored lower than junior high school students on both social support and psychological resilience ( P < 0.01). Table 3 Gender and grade differences in negative emotions, social support and psychological resilience among left-behind children. Variable Male (‾x ± s) Female (‾x ± s) t/F Junior middle school (‾x ± s) Senior high school (‾x ± s) t/F Negative emotions 1.91 ± 0.61 2.21 ± 0.68 -3.45*** 2.04 ± 0.68 2.09 ± 0.65 -0.60 Social support 22.37 ± 4.36 22.81 ± 3.47 -0.84 23.56 ± 3.75 21.95 ± 3.90 3.06** Psychological resilience 3.35 ± 0.52 3.21 ± 0.56 1.89 3.41 ± 0.60 3.19 ± 0.49 3.01** * P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. Multiple linear regression analysis of negative emotions among left-behind children In the multiple linear regression analysis (Table 4 ), gender and grade level were included in the model as control variables to account for the influence of demographic characteristics on negative emotions. The results in Table 4 show that both social support ( β = -0.02, P = 0.040) and psychological resilience ( β = -0.63, P < 0.001) had significant effects on the negative emotions of left-behind children. After controlling for gender and grade, gender significantly influenced the level of negative emotions among left-behind children. Specifically, under the condition of other variables being equal, girls scored on average 0.23 units higher than boys in negative emotions ( β = 0.23, P = 0.002). Table 4 Multiple linear regression analysis of negative emotions among left-behind children. Variable β t P VIF Social support -0.02 -2.07 0.040 1.29 Psychological resilience -0.63 -8.38 <0.001 1.30 Male (Ref.) Female 0.23 3.14 0.002 1.06 Junior middle school (Ref.) Senior high school -0.13 -1.68 0.095 1.06 Ref.=Reference group; Adjusted R 2 =0.361. Mediation effect of psychological resilience between social support and negative emotions. As shown in Table 5 , social support had a significant effect on negative emotion ( β = -0.059, P <0.001), with a 95% confidence interval of [-0.080, -0.038], excluding 0. In addition, social support exerted a significant effect on psychological resilience ( β = 0.060, P < 0.001), and psychological resilience also significantly affected negative emotions ( β = -0.625, P < 0.001) (See Fig. 1 ). The corresponding 95% CIs were [0.043, 0.077] and [-0.772, -0.478], respectively. Furthermore, the results presented in Table 6 indicated that the indirect effect of social support on negative emotions through psychological resilience was significant, with an indirect effect estimate of -0.037 ( P < 0.05), and a 95%CI of [-0.055, -0.023]. This indirect pathway accounted for 62.71% of the total effect. The direct effect of social support on negative emotions remained significant ( β =-0.021, P < 0.05), with a 95%CI of [-0.042, -0.001]. Table 5 Testing the mediation effect of psychological resilience between social support and negative emotions among left-behind children. Variable Negative emotions Psychological resilience Negative emotions β 95% CI β 95% CI β 95% CI Intercept 2.979 *** 2.348ཞ3.611 2.357 *** 1.857ཞ2.857 4.453 *** 3.803ཞ5.103 Gender 0.329 *** 0.167ཞ0.491 -0.161 * -0.290ཞ-0.033 0.228 ** 0.085ཞ0.371 Grade 0.051 -0.218ཞ0.117 -0.120 -0.252ཞ0.013 -0.125 -0.272ཞ0.022 Social support -0.059 *** -0.080ཞ-0.038 0.060 *** 0.043ཞ0.077 -0.021 * -0.042ཞ-0.001 Psychological resilience -0.625 *** -0.772ཞ-0.478 R 2 0.410 0.480 0.610 ΔR 2 0.168 0.231 0.372 F 14.645 *** 21.702 *** 32.045 *** * P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. Table 6 Bootstrap analysis of the mediation effect. Mediating path Effect estimate Boot SE 95% Boot CI Proportion of total mediation effect (%) Total effect -0.059 *** 0.011 -0.080ཞ-0.038 - Direct effect -0.021 * 0.010 -0.042ཞ-0.001 35.59 Indirect effect -0.037 * 0.008 -0.055ཞ-0.023 62.71 * P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001. Discussion This study investigated left-behind and non-left-behind children in southern China, focusing on the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions. The findings indicated that social support had a significant impact on negative emotions among left-behind children, and that left-behind girls exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions compared with boys. More importantly, psychological resilience was found to play a significant mediating role between social support and negative emotions, providing empirical evidence for understanding the mechanisms through which protective factors operate. Based on these results, the discussion below focuses on group differences, individual characteristics, and the mediating role of psychological resilience. First, the study found that left-behind children exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their non-left-behind counterparts (Table 2 ). This finding is consistent with global evidence on the adverse emotional consequences of parent-child separation [ 41 – 43 ] , confirming that prolonged parental absence constitutes a universal risk factor for children’s mental health. Importantly, it also highlights the distinctive challenges embedded in the Chinese sociocultural context. In China, parental absence among left-behind children is a direct outcome of labor migration driven by the urban-rural dual structure, characterized by non-voluntary, economically motivated family separation [ 44 ] . Unlike individualistic cultures that emphasize autonomy, Chinese collectivist culture places strong value on family cohesion and interdependence between parents and children [ 45 ] . Within this context, long-term parent-child separation entails not only the loss of emotional support and daily supervision but also a disruption of fundamental family bonds, thereby intensifying children’s feelings of insecurity and internal stress. This cultural and structural background provides a explanation for the significantly higher levels of negative emotions observed among left-behind children in the study. In addition, this study found that left-behind children scored significantly lower than non-left-behind children in both social support and psychological resilience (Table 2 ), further revealing the underlying mechanisms contributing to their elevated negative emotions. In traditional rural China, the extended family historically served as an effective complement to the functions of the nuclear family [ 46 ] . However, under the impact of rapid modernization and large-scale population mobility, rural Chinese society is undergoing a transition from a traditional acquaintance society to a modern semi-acquaintance society [ 47 ] . As a result, previously reliable sources of clan and neighborhood support have been weakened by migration and social transformation. Consequently, the non-parental support available to left-behind children is often fragmented and of low quality, limiting its capacity to function as an effective protective buffer. Meanwhile, the development of psychological resilience largely depends on secure attachment relationships and positive social interactions [ 48 , 49 ] . The prolonged absence of parental support may fundamentally hinder the development of core components of resilience in children, including a sense of security, self-esteem, and effective coping skills. These findings suggest that deficiencies in external support systems and weaknesses in internal psychological resources are intertwined, jointly creating a vicious cycle that substantially heightens the mental health risks faced by left-behind children. Second, the present study revealed marked heterogeneity within the population of left-behind children. The results indicated that left-behind girls exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their male counterparts (Table 3 ). This finding was consistent with international evidence showing that females are more prone to internalizing psychological problems during adolescence [ 50 – 52 ] . Importantly, the unique contribution of this study lies in providing a deeper explanation for this phenomenon within the specific cultural context of China. The lingering historical notion of son preference and societal expectations for females to be quiet and obedient [ 13 ] may not only exacerbate girls' emotional vulnerability but also inhibit their outward expression of distress and proactive help-seeking behaviors, leading them to bear a higher emotional burden. This perspective helps to explain why left-behind girls reported higher levels of negative emotions while showing no statistically significant differences from boys in levels of social support or psychological resilience. This misalignment between high distress and low perceived support points to a deeper structural dysfunction within existing support systems. It may suggest that both grandparent caregivers and school-based support remain largely confined to meeting basic material needs and behavioral supervision [ 53 , 54 ] , while overlooking the more nuanced emotional support needs of girls, resulting in a misalignment between provided support and actual psychological needs. Furthermore, this study identified differences in protective resources associated with developmental stages among left-behind children. The results showed that senior high school students reported significantly lower levels of social support and psychological resilience than their junior high school counterparts (Table 3 ), indicating a notable attenuation in the internal and external protective resources available to left-behind children during high school. This phenomenon may be attributable to developmental transitions characteristic of middle to late adolescence, during which core developmental tasks shift from seeking security and basic academic adaptation in childhood and early adolescence to achieving autonomy, forming a stable self-identity, and planning for the future [ 55 , 56 ] . Such transitions require support systems to provide deeper emotional resonance, value affirmation, and future-oriented guidance. However, within the context of left-behind children in China, existing support systems often remain limited to material provision and behavioral supervision [ 53 , 54 ] , resulting in a perceived decline in the effectiveness of social support during the senior high school stage. More importantly, the concurrent reduction in psychological resilience scores suggests a high-cost stress adaptation process. This phenomenon can be further interpreted through the lens of Conservation of Resources theory [ 57 ] , which posits that individuals are fundamentally motivated to retain, protect, and accumulate finite psychological resources, and that stress arises when these resources are threatened, depleted, or fail to yield expected returns following investment. Senior high school left-behind children are exposed to prolonged parental absence as well as the uniquely intense, examination-oriented academic pressure centered on the National College Entrance Examination in China [ 58 ] . Under the convergence of multiple stressors, psychological resilience resources may be disproportionately expended on preventing emotional deterioration rather than fostering positive growth and psychological development. This mechanism helps explain why psychological resilience was significantly lower among senior high school left-behind children, while levels of negative emotions did not differ significantly from those observed in their junior high school counterparts. The results of the study showed that higher levels of psychological resilience were associated with lower levels of negative emotions among left-behind children (Table 4 ), highlighting psychological resilience as an important buffer against negative emotional experiences. Supporting this interpretation, a study conducted among college students and adults in the United States demonstrated that the experience of positive emotions contributes to more efficient emotion regulation processes [ 59 ] . Similarly, a cross-sectional survey involving 788 nursing interns in China reported a significant negative association between psychological resilience and negative emotions, further corroborating the findings of the present study [ 60 ] . The most significant finding of this study lies in revealing the critical mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between social support and negative emotions among left-behind children (Table 5 ). This mechanism not only elucidates the pathway through which external resources are transformed into internal psychological strengths, but also provides a deeper explanation for the heterogeneity observed within the left-behind child population. The mediation analysis further demonstrated that more than 65% of the protective effect of social support on negative emotions was transmitted through psychological resilience (Table 6 ). These findings reveal an underlying mechanism through which social support influences mental health, characterized by a progressive transmission pathway whereby social support enhances psychological resilience, which in turn alleviates negative emotions. This mechanism also helps explain why left-behind girls face a higher risk of negative emotions while exhibiting levels of psychological resilience comparable to those of boys. Cultural norms in traditional Chinese society that discourage emotional expression among girls may constrain both their access to social support and the effective internalization of such support into psychological resilience [ 13 , 61 ] . Moreover, this mechanism underscores how prolonged parental absence and intense academic pressure during high school-particularly within China’s exam-oriented educational context [ 58 ] , may not only lead to sustained depletion of external support resources, but also weaken adolescents’ capacity to convert available support into psychological resilience. As a result, left-behind children at this critical developmental stage may become trapped in a negative cycle characterized by diminishing support and compromised psychological functioning. Conclusions This study focused on left-behind children in southern China and examined the relationships among social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. The findings indicate that social support not only exerts a direct effect on negative emotions among left-behind children, but also operates indirectly through psychological resilience, thereby confirming a process through which external support is translated into internal resources and psychological adaptation. This discovery further reveals that the significant differences observed within the left-behind children group regarding gender and grade stem from contextual factors that hinder the transformation of social support into psychological resilience. Overall, these findings suggest that psychological interventions for left-behind children should place greater emphasis on targeted and developmentally sensitive support strategies, with particular attention to strengthening children’s capacity to internalize social support as psychological resilience, thereby promoting positive mental health development. Declarations Clinical trial number Not applicable. Ethics approval The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gannan Medical University on 7 March 2023 (Approval No.2023044). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gannan Medical University. Informed consent On 18 June 2024, investigators who had received standardized training informed students and their guardians of the study objectives, procedures, and their rights. The questionnaire link was distributed after written informed consent was obtained from the participants and their guardians Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare that this study was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest. Author Contribution Wei contributed to the conceptualization, methodology and the design of the research article. Wei, and Cao contributed to data collection. Wei, Liu and Hao contributed to the execution of data analysis and interpretation. Wei and Cao contributed to the drafting of the article. Liu and Hao contributed to the revision and edits of subsequent drafts. All authors approved the manuscript. Acknowledgement This research is supported by Humanities and Social Sciences of Jiangxi University in 2025 (GL25115). Data Availability The dataset generated and analyzed during the current study includes the raw data files, processed data files, the survey questionnaire, detailed variable descriptions, and analysis materials. All relevant files are available in the Supplementary Materials accompanying this article. References Marcus R, León-Himmelstine C, Carvalho T, D,Rodríguez (2023) D J T. Children who stay behind in Latin America and the Caribbean while parents migrate. UNICEF LACRO Zhu Z, Wang Y, Pan X (2023) Health problems faced by left-behind children in low/middle-income countries[J]. 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BMC Psychiatry Huy HN, Nguyen LV Short report: mental health problems among left-behind children in Vietnam: prevalence and an examination of social support and parent-child communication as protective factors[J] Qi D, Wu L (2024) Different parenting styles and rural Children's mental Health: The mediational role of mental resilience[J]. Children and Youth Services Review, p 163 Lu Y (2012) Education of Children Left Behind in Rural China[J]. J Marriage Fam, 74(2): 328-341.10.1111/j.1741-3737.2011.00951.x Wu XY (2016) De- familyorFamily- oriented: Political Correctnessbehind Family Quarrel[J]. Hebei Acad J 36(05):172–178 Cong Z, Silverstein M (2012) Caring for grandchildren and intergenerational support in rural China: a gendered extended family perspective[J]. Ageing and Society, 32(3): 425-450.10.1017/S0144686X11000420 Zhang X, Zhang L, Zhao Z, Qu W,Xu J (2024) Transformations in Rural Community Order: A Case Study of Puqian Village, Jiangxi Province, from 1978 to 2022[J]. 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Int J Environ Res Public Health 21(4):10 Lancefield KS, Raudino A, Downs JM, Laurens KR (2016) Trajectories of childhood internalizing and externalizing psychopathology and psychotic-like experiences in adolescence: A prospective population-based cohort study[J]. Dev Psychopathol 28(2):527–536 Li Z (2024) Analysis of Gender and Mental Health Differences[J]. Communications in Humanities Research, 40: 227-232.10.54254/2753–7064/40/20242338 Zhu JY (2025) Challenges and countermeasures of family education for left-behind children in rural areas[J]. Adv Educ 15(2):350–354. https://doi.org/10.12677/ae.2025.152248 Song Q, Yue A,Jiang Y,Cui M, Gao Q,Ma J (2025) Grandmaternal caregiving and early child development in rural China: the mediating role of parenting environment[J]. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 9(1): e003434.10.1136/bmjpo-2025-003434 National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (U.S.). Committee on the Neurobiological and Socio-Behavioral Science of Adolescent Development and Its Applications,Bonnie R J,Backes E P,National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine (U.S.) (2019) Board on Children Youth and Families,National Academies Press (U.S.). The promise of adolescence: realizing opportunity for all youth[M]. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press, : xxi, 467 pages Erikson EH (1964) Childhood and society[M]. 2d. New York,: Norton, : 445 p Hobfoll SE (1989) Conservation of resources. A new attempt at conceptualizing stress[J]. Am Psychol, 44(3): 513 – 24.10.1037//0003-066x.44.3.513 In-depth China (2025) Pressure of gaokao success looms over students' new weekend freedom[EB/OL]. -05-19)[ https://www.chinadailyhk.com/hk/article/612016 Tugade MM, Fredrickson BL (2004) Resilient individuals use positive emotions to bounce back from negative emotional experiences[J]. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86(2): 320-333.10.1037/0022-3514.86.2.320 Chen M, Liu M, Wang X,Pu L,Zhang M, Wang Q,Tang H,Zhong M, Zeng J (2023) Mediating role of psychological resilience between social support and negative emotions in nursing interns in the post-COVID‐19 era: A cross‐sectional survey[J]. Psychology in the schools, 10.1002/pits.22874 Cai JW (2025) A research review on the causes and effects of women’s self-silencing[J]. Adv Social Sci 14(10):329–334. https://doi.org/10.12677/ass.2025.1410901 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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This phenomenon is particularly prevalent in low-and middle-income countries. Available evidence suggests that in Latin America, up to 21% of children are deprived or direct parental care due to their parents\u0026rsquo; migration to North America, Europe, or other regions\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. In the Philippines, nearly 27% (or 8\u0026nbsp;million) of children are identified as left-children\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, while in rural south Africa, more than 40% of children grow up under comparable circumstances\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. In China, the issue of left-behind children has attracted increasing scholarly and policy attention, largely due to the country\u0026rsquo;s vast population size, large-scale internal labor migration, and distinctive sociocultural context. According to a 2020 report by the China Development Research Foundation, approximately 138\u0026nbsp;million children nationwide have been affected by parental labor migration, accounting for 46.4% of the total child population. Among them, an estimated 66.93\u0026nbsp;million are classified as left-behind children, of whom rural children constitute as much as 62.4%\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Some studies have shown that experiences of being left behind are frequently associated with adverse emotional and psychological outcomes and represent a major risk factor for mental health problems during adolescence\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccumulating evidence indicates that experiences of being left-behind children are commonly accompanied by adverse emotional responses, including loneliness, low self-esteem, and anxiety\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. When such negative emotional states persist over time without adequate alleviation, they may evolve into depressive symptoms, manifested by a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, decreased appetite, intensified self-denial, and, in severe cases, the emergence of self-harming ideation\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated that left-behind children exhibit significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their non-left-behind peers\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR8 CR9\" citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. These emotional difficulties not only impair academic performance and peer relationships but may also precipitate crises of self-identity, thereby posing a long-term threat to psychological adjustment. Exiting research has also suggested that gender differences are present, with left-behind girls being more likely to exhibit depressive and anxiety symptoms\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR11\" citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, whereas left-behind boys face elevated risks of aggression and behavioral problems\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. However, existing literature on negative emotional outcomes among left-behind children has largely remained at the level of risk identification, with insufficient attention devoted to the underlying mechanisms and pathways through which such emotional problems develop.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBuilding on this limitation, emerging scholar has suggested that negative emotional outcomes among left-children cannot be understand solely as isolated family-level issue but rather as the result of structural deficiencies in multiple support systems that fail to meet developmental needs\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Prolonged parental absence due to labor migration deprives these children of their primary attachment figures, thereby weakening their capacity to obtain emotional comfort and a sense of security\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Nevertheless, evidence also indicates that when intergenerational caregiving is accompanied by appropriate educational approaches and emotional expression, it may partially alleviate psychological difficulties related to academic functioning, peer interactions, and self-identity among left-behind children\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Concurrently, schools can serve as an important source of sustained psychological support through mental health education programs and teacher-based counseling services\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. With this context, increasing scholarly attention has begun to emphasize the pivotal role of social support in the maintenance of children\u0026rsquo;s mental health\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Social support denotes the emotional sustenance, informational guidance, and instrumental assistance that individuals can access through their social networks when confronted with stress or adversity\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Although existing research has documented the beneficial effects of social support on children\u0026rsquo;s psychological well-being from multiple perspectives, significant gaps remain. Most studies conceptualize social support as a unidimensional and linear protective factor, primarily highlighting its direct contribution to improved mental health outcomes\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, while paying insufficient attention to the complexity and contextual dependency of its underlying processes\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. In practice, substantial heterogeneity in mental health outcomes can be observed even among individuals exposed to comparable levels of social support, suggesting that the effectiveness of social support may be moderated by internal psychological resources. In this context, psychological resilience has gradually entered the focus of research on left-behind children\u0026rsquo;s well-being. Resilience refers to a dynamic adaptive capacity that enables individuals to maintain or rapidly restore psychological functioning when faced with significant stress, trauma, or adversity\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Prior research has shown that adolescents with higher levels of resilience are better able to buffer the negative impacts of adverse life events and tend to develop more positive cognitive patterns and adaptive strategies\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, much of the existing work continues to treat resilience as a relatively stable individual trait, placing disproportionate emphasis on individual toughness while overlooking the role of external environments and interactive processes in the cultivation of resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTake together, although existing research has highlighted the importance of both social support and psychological resilience for children\u0026rsquo;s mental health, it has yet to adequately elucidate the dynamic mechanisms through which they operate in the development of negative emotional outcomes among left-behind children. Child development constitutes a fundamental pillar of population quality and sustainable societal development. China currently has the second-largest child population in the world, with nearly half of its children being directly affected by population mobility, and the number of left-behind children remaining persistently high\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. With the acceleration of urbanization and the continued out-migration of family labor, the population of children affected by migration is expected to further expand\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, rendering negative emotional problems among left-behind children increasingly salient. Multiple studies indicate that left-behind children exhibit significantly higher prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and self-identity disturbances compared with their non-left-behind peers\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, with these problems showing a sustained upward trend over time\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Such widespread and deeply rooted psychological difficulties not only threaten children\u0026rsquo;s immediate well-being and social adjustment but also pose latent risks to future human capital development and social stability. Nevertheless, research on both social support and psychological resilience has largely remained at the level of single-factor or correlational analysis\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, lacking comprehensive theoretical models to examine whether and how social support influences mental health through the pathway of psychological resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgainst this backdrop, the present study focuses on left-behind children in southern China and introduces psychological resilience as a key mediating variable to examine the mechanisms through which social support affects negative emotional outcomes. By doing so, this study seeks to clarify the internal logic linking social support systems and individual psychological processes, while providing empirical evidence for the development of mental health promotion pathways for left-behind children within China\u0026rsquo;s specific sociocultural context. In summary, amid China\u0026rsquo;s rapid social transformation and profound changes in urban-rural structures, research that centers on the mental health of left-behind children is not only of immediate practical significance but also carries substantial implications for public health and social policy.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSelection of the study area\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe survey was conducted in the rural area of Ganzhou and Yichun, two prefecture-level cities in Jiangxi Province in the southern central part of China. Jiangxi Province has a substantial population of rural left-behind children, estimated at over 602,000, accounting for approximately 10% of the national total\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Within the province, Ganzhou and Yichun represent major concentration areas of left-behind children (with more than 135,000 rural left-behind children reported in Ganzhou in 2022\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e and over 680,000 rural left-behind children at the compulsory education stage in Yichun\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e), thereby ensuring strong sample representativeness. Furthermore, both study sites have implemented social support initiatives, such as the \u0026ldquo;Tongxin Gangwan\u0026rdquo; (Child-Friendly Harbor) project\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e36\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, thereby providing an appropriate context for examining the mechanisms through which social support operates.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eParticipants and survey design\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the commonly accepted definition used in research on left-behind children in China\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, rural left-behind children were defined as middle school students who had at least one parent migrating for employment or related reasons for six months or longer, who resided long-term in their registered place of residence, and who were unable to live with both parents.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: (1) were full-time students enrolled from Grade 7 to Grade 12 and aged 10\u0026ndash;17 years; (2) possessed basic language comprehension and expression abilities and were able to complete the questionnaire independently; and (3) voluntarily agreed to participate in the study, with written informed consent obtained from both the participants and their legal guardians. Participants were excluded if they met any of the following conditions: (1) were outside the specified age range; (2) provided invalid questionnaires, defined as having substantial missing data on key items (\u0026ge;\u0026thinsp;10%) or exhibiting evident response patterns (e.g., selecting the same option consecutively across multiple items); or (3) voluntarily withdrew from the study during the data collection process.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDate collection was conducted through a standardized online questionnaire platform. Prior to the survey, uniformly trained investigators explained the research purpose, procedures, and participants' rights to both the students and their guardians. Written informed consent was obtained before distributing the questionnaire link. A total of 1,756 questionnaires were distributed. After collection, through dual independent verification and logical validation, 335 invalid questionnaires were excluded, resulting in 1,421 valid responses. The effective questionnaire recovery rate was 80.92%.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eQuestionnaire survey\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNegative emotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative emotions were assessed using the Middle School Students\u0026rsquo; Mental Health Scale (MMHI-60). This scale, developed by Professor Wang Jisheng\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, is designed to evaluate common psychological problems among middle school students in China. It comprises 60 items covering 10 dimensions, including academic stress, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal relationships, with 6 items per dimension. Responses were rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher average scores indicate more severe levels of negative emotions. According to the scale\u0026rsquo;s recommended thresholds, a mean score below 2.00 is considered indicative of the absence of negative emotions, scores ranging from 2.00 to 2.99 are classified as mild symptoms, scores between 3.00 and 3.99 correspond to moderate symptoms, and scores of 4 or above indicate severe symptoms. In the present study, a mean score above 2.00 was used as the cutoff for identifying negative emotions. The scale showed excellent internal consistency in this study, with a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient of 0.975.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support was measured with the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), designed by Xiao Shuiyuan\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. This scale has been widely applied in studies of Chinese adolescents to measure both the quantity and quality of social support received and has demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. The scale consists of 10 items, including subjective support, objective support, and support utilization. Items 1\u0026ndash;4 and 8\u0026ndash;10 are rated on a four-point Likert scale, whereas Items 6\u0026ndash;7 are rated on a three-point Likert scale. In this study, to enhance the applicability of the scale to the study population, Item 4 (\u0026ldquo;your relationship with colleagues\u0026rdquo;) was adapted to \u0026ldquo;your relationship with classmates,\u0026rdquo; and Item 5 (\u0026ldquo;support and care received from family members\u0026rdquo;) was removed. Higher total scores indicate higher levels of perceived social support. In the present study, the scale exhibited acceptable internal consistency, with a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient of 0.700.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience was assessed with the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale, developed by Hu Yueqin and Gan Yiqun\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. The scale is designed to assess adolescents\u0026rsquo; adaptive capacity, coping ability, and psychological flexibility when confronted with difficulties and adverse. It comprises 27 items rated on a five-point Likert scale, with higher total scores indicating higher levels of psychological resilience and greater capacity to withstand stress and recover from adversity. In the present study, the scale achieved good internal consistency, with a Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient of 0.881.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral information questionnaire\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA general information questionnaire was self-designed for this study to collect participants\u0026rsquo; basic demographic characteristic, including grade lever, gender, age, left-behind status, and parental migration status. These variables were used for background control and subgroup analyses.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eStatistical analysis was conducted in several steps. First, chi-square tests were used for descriptive statistics and and to compare characteristic differences between groups. Subsequently, independent samples t-tests were then performed to examine differences between left-behind children and non-left-behind children in psychological health-related outcomes, thereby identifying group-level variations in psychological characteristics. To further explore the associations among key variables, multiple linear regression analyses were applied to test the relationships between social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. Building on these analyses, mediation models were specified and tested using Model 4 of the PROCESS macro for SPSS, in order to evaluate the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions. All data management and statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS version 27.0.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the 1,421 valid questionnaires included in the analysis, 221 participants (15.55%) were identified as left-behind children, while 1,200 participants (84.45%) were non-left-behind children. As shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, among the left-behind children, there were 104 boys (47.10%) and 117 girls (52.90%). In terms of grade distribution, 90 participants (40.70%) were junior middle school students and 131 participants (59.30%) were senior high school students. In the non-left-behind children, 542 (45.20%) were boys and 658 (54.80%) were girls. Regarding grade level, 490 (40.80%) were junior high school students and 710 (59.20%) were senior high school students.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral characteristics of the study participant (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1,421).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLeft-behind children\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNon-left-behind children\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\text{}}^{\\text{2}}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e542\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.604\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e658\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJunior middle school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e490\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.976\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSenior high school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e710\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59.20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGroup differences in negative emotions, social support, and psychological resilience\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe results presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shown that left-behind children reported significantly higher levels of negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), alongside lower levels of psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01), and social support (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) compared with their non-left-behind counterparts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eComparisons of negative emotions, social support and psychological resilience between left-behind children and non-left-behind children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLeft-behind children (\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNon-left-behind children (\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative emotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.07\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.96\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.019\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.60\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.32\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.012\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.36\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.033\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGender and grade differences among left-behind children\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, girls exhibited significantly higher negative emotions than boys among left-behind children (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), while senior high school students scored lower than junior high school students on both social support and psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender and grade differences in negative emotions, social support and psychological resilience among left-behind children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e(\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et/F\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJunior middle school (\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSenior high school (\u0026oline;x\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;s)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et/F\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative emotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.91\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.61\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-3.45***\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.04\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.09\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.37\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;4.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.81\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.84\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.56\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.95\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.06**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.35\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.21\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.56\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.89\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.41\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.19\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.01**\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e* P\u0026lt;0.05, **P\u0026lt;0.01, ***P\u0026lt;0.001.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eMultiple linear regression analysis of negative emotions among left-behind children\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the multiple linear regression analysis (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e), gender and grade level were included in the model as control variables to account for the influence of demographic characteristics on negative emotions. The results in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e show that both social support (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e = -0.02, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.040) and psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e = -0.63, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) had significant effects on the negative emotions of left-behind children. After controlling for gender and grade, gender significantly influenced the level of negative emotions among left-behind children. Specifically, under the condition of other variables being equal, girls scored on average 0.23 units higher than boys in negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.23, \u003cem\u003eP\u0026thinsp;=\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;0.002).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultiple linear regression analysis of negative emotions among left-behind children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003et\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVIF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-2.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.040\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-8.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale (Ref.)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJunior middle school (Ref.)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSenior high school\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-1.68\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.095\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRef.=Reference group; Adjusted R\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e=0.361.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eMediation effect of psychological resilience between social support and negative emotions.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, social support had a significant effect on negative emotion (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e = -0.059, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt;0.001), with a 95% confidence interval of [-0.080, -0.038], excluding 0. In addition, social support exerted a significant effect on psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.060, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.001), and psychological resilience also significantly affected negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e = -0.625, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.001) (See Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The corresponding 95% CIs were [0.043, 0.077] and [-0.772, -0.478], respectively. Furthermore, the results presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e indicated that the indirect effect of social support on negative emotions through psychological resilience was significant, with an indirect effect estimate of -0.037 (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), and a 95%CI of [-0.055, -0.023]. This indirect pathway accounted for 62.71% of the total effect. The direct effect of social support on negative emotions remained significant (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e =-0.021, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), with a 95%CI of [-0.042, -0.001].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTesting the mediation effect of psychological resilience between social support and negative emotions among left-behind children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative emotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative emotions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95%\u003cem\u003eCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95%\u003cem\u003eCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95%\u003cem\u003eCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntercept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.979\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.348ཞ3.611\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.357\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.857ཞ2.857\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.453\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.803ཞ5.103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.329\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.167ཞ0.491\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.161\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.290ཞ-0.033\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.228\u003csup\u003e**\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.085ཞ0.371\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.051\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.218ཞ0.117\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.120\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.252ཞ0.013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.272ཞ0.022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial support\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.059\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.080ཞ-0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.060\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.043ཞ0.077\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.021\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.042ཞ-0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePsychological resilience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.625\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.772ཞ-0.478\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.410\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.480\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.610\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eΔR\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.168\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.231\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.372\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eF\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.645\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.702\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.045\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e* P\u0026lt;0.05, **P\u0026lt;0.01, ***P\u0026lt;0.001.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBootstrap analysis of the mediation effect.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMediating path\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEffect estimate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoot SE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95% \u003cem\u003eBoot CI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProportion of total mediation effect (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.059\u003csup\u003e***\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.080ཞ-0.038\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDirect effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.021\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.042ཞ-0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.59\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndirect effect\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.037\u003csup\u003e*\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.008\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.055ཞ-0.023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e* P\u0026lt;0.05, **P\u0026lt;0.01, ***P\u0026lt;0.001.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated left-behind and non-left-behind children in southern China, focusing on the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions. The findings indicated that social support had a significant impact on negative emotions among left-behind children, and that left-behind girls exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions compared with boys. More importantly, psychological resilience was found to play a significant mediating role between social support and negative emotions, providing empirical evidence for understanding the mechanisms through which protective factors operate. Based on these results, the discussion below focuses on group differences, individual characteristics, and the mediating role of psychological resilience.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFirst, the study found that left-behind children exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their non-left-behind counterparts (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). This finding is consistent with global evidence on the adverse emotional consequences of parent-child separation\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR42\" citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, confirming that prolonged parental absence constitutes a universal risk factor for children\u0026rsquo;s mental health. Importantly, it also highlights the distinctive challenges embedded in the Chinese sociocultural context. In China, parental absence among left-behind children is a direct outcome of labor migration driven by the urban-rural dual structure, characterized by non-voluntary, economically motivated family separation\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Unlike individualistic cultures that emphasize autonomy, Chinese collectivist culture places strong value on family cohesion and interdependence between parents and children\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Within this context, long-term parent-child separation entails not only the loss of emotional support and daily supervision but also a disruption of fundamental family bonds, thereby intensifying children\u0026rsquo;s feelings of insecurity and internal stress. This cultural and structural background provides a explanation for the significantly higher levels of negative emotions observed among left-behind children in the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition, this study found that left-behind children scored significantly lower than non-left-behind children in both social support and psychological resilience (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), further revealing the underlying mechanisms contributing to their elevated negative emotions. In traditional rural China, the extended family historically served as an effective complement to the functions of the nuclear family\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. However, under the impact of rapid modernization and large-scale population mobility, rural Chinese society is undergoing a transition from a traditional acquaintance society to a modern semi-acquaintance society\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. As a result, previously reliable sources of clan and neighborhood support have been weakened by migration and social transformation. Consequently, the non-parental support available to left-behind children is often fragmented and of low quality, limiting its capacity to function as an effective protective buffer. Meanwhile, the development of psychological resilience largely depends on secure attachment relationships and positive social interactions\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. The prolonged absence of parental support may fundamentally hinder the development of core components of resilience in children, including a sense of security, self-esteem, and effective coping skills. These findings suggest that deficiencies in external support systems and weaknesses in internal psychological resources are intertwined, jointly creating a vicious cycle that substantially heightens the mental health risks faced by left-behind children.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecond, the present study revealed marked heterogeneity within the population of left-behind children. The results indicated that left-behind girls exhibited significantly higher levels of negative emotions than their male counterparts (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). This finding was consistent with international evidence showing that females are more prone to internalizing psychological problems during adolescence\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR51\" citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Importantly, the unique contribution of this study lies in providing a deeper explanation for this phenomenon within the specific cultural context of China. The lingering historical notion of son preference and societal expectations for females to be quiet and obedient\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e may not only exacerbate girls' emotional vulnerability but also inhibit their outward expression of distress and proactive help-seeking behaviors, leading them to bear a higher emotional burden. This perspective helps to explain why left-behind girls reported higher levels of negative emotions while showing no statistically significant differences from boys in levels of social support or psychological resilience. This misalignment between high distress and low perceived support points to a deeper structural dysfunction within existing support systems. It may suggest that both grandparent caregivers and school-based support remain largely confined to meeting basic material needs and behavioral supervision\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, while overlooking the more nuanced emotional support needs of girls, resulting in a misalignment between provided support and actual psychological needs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFurthermore, this study identified differences in protective resources associated with developmental stages among left-behind children. The results showed that senior high school students reported significantly lower levels of social support and psychological resilience than their junior high school counterparts (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), indicating a notable attenuation in the internal and external protective resources available to left-behind children during high school. This phenomenon may be attributable to developmental transitions characteristic of middle to late adolescence, during which core developmental tasks shift from seeking security and basic academic adaptation in childhood and early adolescence to achieving autonomy, forming a stable self-identity, and planning for the future\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e55\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR56\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e56\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Such transitions require support systems to provide deeper emotional resonance, value affirmation, and future-oriented guidance. However, within the context of left-behind children in China, existing support systems often remain limited to material provision and behavioral supervision\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, resulting in a perceived decline in the effectiveness of social support during the senior high school stage. More importantly, the concurrent reduction in psychological resilience scores suggests a high-cost stress adaptation process. This phenomenon can be further interpreted through the lens of Conservation of Resources theory\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR57\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e57\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, which posits that individuals are fundamentally motivated to retain, protect, and accumulate finite psychological resources, and that stress arises when these resources are threatened, depleted, or fail to yield expected returns following investment. Senior high school left-behind children are exposed to prolonged parental absence as well as the uniquely intense, examination-oriented academic pressure centered on the National College Entrance Examination in China\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e58\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Under the convergence of multiple stressors, psychological resilience resources may be disproportionately expended on preventing emotional deterioration rather than fostering positive growth and psychological development. This mechanism helps explain why psychological resilience was significantly lower among senior high school left-behind children, while levels of negative emotions did not differ significantly from those observed in their junior high school counterparts.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the study showed that higher levels of psychological resilience were associated with lower levels of negative emotions among left-behind children (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e), highlighting psychological resilience as an important buffer against negative emotional experiences. Supporting this interpretation, a study conducted among college students and adults in the United States demonstrated that the experience of positive emotions contributes to more efficient emotion regulation processes\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e59\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Similarly, a cross-sectional survey involving 788 nursing interns in China reported a significant negative association between psychological resilience and negative emotions, further corroborating the findings of the present study\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e60\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most significant finding of this study lies in revealing the critical mediating role of psychological resilience in the relationship between social support and negative emotions among left-behind children (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). This mechanism not only elucidates the pathway through which external resources are transformed into internal psychological strengths, but also provides a deeper explanation for the heterogeneity observed within the left-behind child population. The mediation analysis further demonstrated that more than 65% of the protective effect of social support on negative emotions was transmitted through psychological resilience (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). These findings reveal an underlying mechanism through which social support influences mental health, characterized by a progressive transmission pathway whereby social support enhances psychological resilience, which in turn alleviates negative emotions. This mechanism also helps explain why left-behind girls face a higher risk of negative emotions while exhibiting levels of psychological resilience comparable to those of boys. Cultural norms in traditional Chinese society that discourage emotional expression among girls may constrain both their access to social support and the effective internalization of such support into psychological resilience\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e61\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e. Moreover, this mechanism underscores how prolonged parental absence and intense academic pressure during high school-particularly within China\u0026rsquo;s exam-oriented educational context\u003csup\u003e[\u003cspan citationid=\"CR58\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e58\u003c/span\u003e]\u003c/sup\u003e, may not only lead to sustained depletion of external support resources, but also weaken adolescents\u0026rsquo; capacity to convert available support into psychological resilience. As a result, left-behind children at this critical developmental stage may become trapped in a negative cycle characterized by diminishing support and compromised psychological functioning.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study focused on left-behind children in southern China and examined the relationships among social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. The findings indicate that social support not only exerts a direct effect on negative emotions among left-behind children, but also operates indirectly through psychological resilience, thereby confirming a process through which external support is translated into internal resources and psychological adaptation. This discovery further reveals that the significant differences observed within the left-behind children group regarding gender and grade stem from contextual factors that hinder the transformation of social support into psychological resilience. Overall, these findings suggest that psychological interventions for left-behind children should place greater emphasis on targeted and developmentally sensitive support strategies, with particular attention to strengthening children\u0026rsquo;s capacity to internalize social support as psychological resilience, thereby promoting positive mental health development.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Declarations","content":" \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eClinical trial number\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003e The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gannan Medical University on 7 March 2023 (Approval No.2023044). The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Gannan Medical University.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn 18 June 2024, investigators who had received standardized training informed students and their guardians of the study objectives, procedures, and their rights. The questionnaire link was distributed after written informed consent was obtained from the participants and their guardians\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003ch2\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that this study was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as potential conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eWei contributed to the conceptualization, methodology and the design of the research article. Wei, and Cao contributed to data collection. Wei, Liu and Hao contributed to the execution of data analysis and interpretation. Wei and Cao contributed to the drafting of the article. Liu and Hao contributed to the revision and edits of subsequent drafts. All authors approved the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis research is supported by Humanities and Social Sciences of Jiangxi University in 2025 (GL25115).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData Availability\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe dataset generated and analyzed during the current study includes the raw data files, processed data files, the survey questionnaire, detailed variable descriptions, and analysis materials. All relevant files are available in the Supplementary Materials accompanying this article.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMarcus R, Le\u0026oacute;n-Himmelstine C, Carvalho T, D,Rodr\u0026iacute;guez (2023) D J T. Children who stay behind in Latin America and the Caribbean while parents migrate. 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Adv Social Sci 14(10):329\u0026ndash;334. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.12677/ass.2025.1410901\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.12677/ass.2025.1410901\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"left-behind children, social support, psychological resilience, negative emotions, mediation effect","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8660271/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8660271/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground: \u003c/strong\u003eLeft-behind children in China are exposed to prolonged parental absence, placing them elevated risk for negative emotions. Although social support is widely recognized as a protective factor, the psychological mechanism through which it influences emotional well-being remain insufficiently understand. In particular, the role of psychological resilience in translating social support into emotional adaption warrants further empirical examination.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods: \u003c/strong\u003eDate were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2024 among 1,421 children in rural areas of Jiangxi province, southern China, including left-behind and non-left-behind children. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess social support, psychological resilience, and negative emotions. Group differences by left-behind status, gender and school stage were examined. Regressed-based mediation analyses with Bootstrap resampling were performed to test the mediating role of psychological resilience in the association between social support and negative emotions, controlling for relevant demographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003eLeft-behind children exhibited higher levels of negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.05) and lower levels of social support (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05) and psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.05) than non-left-behind children. Among left-behind children, girls reported higher negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.001) than boys, and senior high school students showed lower social support (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01) and psychological resilience (\u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.01) than junior high school students. Mediation analyses revealed that psychological resilience partially mediated the association between social support (\u003cem\u003eb \u003c/em\u003e= 0.060, \u003cem\u003eP \u003c/em\u003e＜ 0.001) and negative emotions (\u003cem\u003eb \u003c/em\u003e= -0.625, \u003cem\u003eP\u003c/em\u003e ＜ 0.001).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions:\u003c/strong\u003eThis study identifies psychological resilience as a key mediator linking social support to negative emotions among left-behind children, supporting an external support and internal resources psychological adaptation mechanism. The results further reveal significant gender and grade differences, indicating that effective interventions should emphasize enhancing children’s capacity to transform social support into psychological resilience to promote emotional well-being.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The impact of social support on negative emotions among left-behind children in southern China: The mediating role of psychological resilience","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-23 15:03:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8660271/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-06T07:50:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"90682196899419573582286065671972965017","date":"2026-04-17T13:04:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"239576598921989435731636888230803419423","date":"2026-04-16T00:54:34+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"256733455182230486291753271954229517446","date":"2026-04-15T15:32:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-15T15:21:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-15T15:03:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-13T09:06:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-02-12T09:12:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","date":"2026-02-12T09:05:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"44085154-f51e-43ac-9a75-90121d27760e","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 23rd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-05-06T07:50:50+00:00","index":82,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":66525791,"name":"Health sciences/Health care"},{"id":66525792,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology"},{"id":66525793,"name":"Social science/Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-23T15:03:08+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-23 15:03:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8660271","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8660271","identity":"rs-8660271","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}