Parental absence predicts suicide ideation through emotional disorders

The objectives of the study were to investigate the association between the parental absence and suicide ideation and to examine the roles of emotional disorders in the aforementioned relationship. Four thousand five hundred and thirteen children from rural areas in Jiangsu Province, China, participated in the study. Among the participants, 2416 were non-left-behind children (children living with both parents) and 1997 were left-behind children (children living with the absence of at least one parent). All participants responded to the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children, the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, and a question regarding respondents’ suicide ideation. Results indicated that as compared with non-left-behind children, the left-behind children with both-parents absence were statistically more likely to show suicide ideation. Furthermore, all the three types parental absence—father absence, mother absence, and both-parents absence were significantly associated with negative emotional outcomes. Moreover, depression, social anxiety, and physical anxiety were shown to be significant mediators in the relationship of parental absence and suicide ideation of children. The stress of parental absence and its negative impact on children’s mental health are discussed.