Association between Spouse/Child Separation and Migration-Related Stress among a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in Wuhan, China

Background: Millions of people move from rural areas to urban areas in China to pursue new opportunities while leaving their spouses and children at rural homes. Little is known about the impact of migration-related separation on mental health of these rural migrants in urban China.

Methods: Survey data from a random sample of rural-to-urban migrants (n = 1113, aged 18-45) from Wuhan were analyzed. The Domestic Migration Stress Questionnaire (DMSQ), an instrument with four subconstructs, was used to measure migration-related stress. The relationship between spouse/child separation and stress was assessed using survey estimation methods to account for the multi-level sampling design.

Results: 16.46% of couples were separated from their spouses (spouse-separation only), 25.81% of parents were separated from their children (child separation only). Among the participants who married and had children, 5.97% were separated from both their spouses and children (double separation). Spouse-separation only and double separation did not scored significantly higher on DMSQ than those with no separation. Compared to parents without child separation, parents with child separation scored significantly higher on DMSQ (mean score = 2.88, 95% CI: [2.81, 2.95] vs. 2.60 [2.53, 2.67], p < .05). Stratified analysis by separation type and by gender indicated that the association was stronger for child-separation only and for female participants.

Conclusion: Child-separation is an important source of migration-related stress, and the effect is particularly strong for migrant women. Public policies and intervention programs should consider these factors to encourage and facilitate the co-migration of parents with their children to mitigate migration-related stress.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Similar articles

Nikoloski Z, Zhang A, Hopkin G, Mossialos E. Nikoloski Z, et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 May 3;2(5):e193355. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.3355. JAMA Netw Open. 2019. PMID: 31050782 Free PMC article.

Chen F, Liu H, Vikram K, Guo Y. Chen F, et al. Demography. 2015 Aug;52(4):1321-43. doi: 10.1007/s13524-015-0399-9. Demography. 2015. PMID: 26100981 Free PMC article.

Chen X, Yu B, Zhou D, Zhou W, Gong J, Li S, Stanton B. Chen X, et al. PLoS One. 2015 Aug 4;10(8):e0134712. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134712. eCollection 2015. PLoS One. 2015. PMID: 26241900 Free PMC article.

Li J, Rose N. Li J, et al. Health Place. 2017 Nov;48:20-30. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.08.009. Epub 2017 Sep 23. Health Place. 2017. PMID: 28892746 Review.

Liu Y, Gao J, Shou J, Xia H, Shen Y, Zhu S, Pan Z. Liu Y, et al. Subst Use Misuse. 2016 Jan 28;51(2):206-15. doi: 10.3109/10826084.2015.1092987. Epub 2016 Jan 22. Subst Use Misuse. 2016. PMID: 26800156 Review.

Cited by

Soundarajan S, Akhtar S, Dutta R, Nisha B, Parasuraman G. Soundarajan S, et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022 Nov;11(11):7095-7100. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1086_22. Epub 2022 Dec 16. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022. PMID: 36993128 Free PMC article.

Belau MH, Becher H, Kraemer A. Belau MH, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Nov 8;18(21):11722. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182111722. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021. PMID: 34770236 Free PMC article.

Hu X, Sun M, Tang S, Lommel LL. Hu X, et al. BMC Womens Health. 2021 Sep 28;21(1):344. doi: 10.1186/s12905-021-01482-3. BMC Womens Health. 2021. PMID: 34583678 Free PMC article.

Yu B, Chen X, Cottler L, Striley C, Bussing R, Cook R. Yu B, et al. Soc Indic Res. 2021 Apr;154(2):603-622. doi: 10.1007/s11205-020-02578-3. Epub 2021 Jan 3. Soc Indic Res. 2021. PMID: 33814675 Free PMC article.

Chen X, Li H, Lucero-Prisno DE 3rd, Abdullah AS, Huang J, Laurence C, Liang X, Ma Z, Mao Z, Ren R, Wu S, Wang N, Wang P, Wang T, Yan H, Zou Y. Chen X, et al. Glob Health Res Policy. 2020 Apr 7;5:14. doi: 10.1186/s41256-020-00142-7. eCollection 2020. Glob Health Res Policy. 2020. PMID: 32289081 Free PMC article.

References

    1. Chen X, Stanton B, Kaljee LM, Fang X, Xiong Q, Lin D, et al. Social Stigma, Social Capital Reconstruction and Rural Migrants in Urban China: A Population Health Perspective. Hum Organ. 2011;70(1):22–32. Epub 2011/04/26. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Taloyan M, Johansson LM, Saleh-Stattin N, Al-Windi A. Acculturation strategies in migration stress among Kurdish men in Sweden: a narrative approach. American journal of men's health. 2011;5(3):198–207. 10.1177/1557988310368844 . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wong DF, Song HX. The resilience of migrant workers in Shanghai China: the roles of migration stress and meaning of migration. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2008;54(2):131–43. . - PubMed
    1. National Bureau of statistics of China. The Chinese Statistic Yearbook of 2014. 2014; Available: http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2014/indexch.htm.
    1. Household registration system of the People's Republic of China. Available: http://www.npc.gov.cn/wxzl/gongbao/2000-12/10/content_5004332.htm.