The correlation between sibling relationships and psychosocial adaptation among left-behind children in China: A latent profile analysis

This study used latent profile analysis to identify the profiles of sibling relationships among left-behind children (LBC) in China and determine whether specific relationship profiles are associated with psychosocial adaptation. The participants were 2,150 LBC with siblings. The study identified four profiles: cold–distant, warm–caring, warm–competitive, and intimate–nurturing. The profiles of LBC’s sibling relationships exhibited different characteristics depending on gender, grade, residence, birth order, frequency of parent–child communication, parental differential treatment, and duration of being left-behind. The four profiles differed significantly in terms of psychosocial adaptation. The warm–caring and intimate–nurturing sibling relationships promoted psychosocial adaptation by encouraging social adaptation and self-esteem. In contrast, the cold–distant and warm–competitive sibling relationships were harmful as they induced depression and anxiety.