Maternal image and the mental health of left-behind children

To explore the maternal image of left-behind children (LBC) and the impact of mothers’ absence on their mental health, we randomly selected 2,623 participants (546 LBC and 2,077 non-LBC) whom we tested using the Mental Health Inventory of Middle-School Students (MMHI-60) and the Maternal Image Scale. The scores of LBC on the Positive Maternal Image Scale were significantly lower than those of non-LBC; the scores of LBC on the Negative Maternal Image Scale were significantly higher than those of non-LBC, and the mental health level of LBC was significantly lower than that of non-LBC. In addition, positive maternal image (PMI) and negative maternal image (NMI) fully mediate the time mothers spend at home and their children’s mental health. The findings indicate that as mothers spent less time at home, the maternal image of LBC became damaged; the children’s mental health also declined.