Exploring the Impact of Parental Absence on the Mental Health of Left-behind Children in China

With the acceleration of urbanisation in China, the number of left-behind children has surged, and their mental health problems have become a social issue of great concern. Based on parenting care theory, attachment theory, emotion regulation theory, and psychological capital theory, this paper deeply discusses the theoretical mechanisms of left-behind children's psychological and behavioral problems. It conducts a case study of the Handan left-behind children's bullying incident and Deer Dawson's suicide incident. It is found that left-behind children generally face problems such as insufficient parenting care, insecure attachment relationships, weak emotional regulation ability, and low levels of psychological capital due to long-term parental absence. These problems lead to a significant increase in their emotional disorders, behavioral problems, and mental health risks. This paper proposes intervention strategies at three levelsnational policy, educational institutions, and individual emotional growthto establish a scientific framework for mental health interventions for left-behind children and to foster their overall well-being.