Peer-reviewed article
Mental Health and Emotional Functioning of Parents from Separated–Reunited Chinese Immigrant Families
Xihan Yang, Bolin Yu, Jingzhou Li, Shaobing Su ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looks at the mental health and emotions of Chinese immigrant parents in the United States who were separated from their children for a long time and then reunited. It used interviews with 24 parents and daily diary surveys from half of them. Parents generally reported relatively low levels of challenging mental health conditions and moderate positive to minor negative emotions. Financial stress, children's schooling, family relationships, acculturation and homesickness were linked to parents' mental health. The authors suggest policies and community services to support parenting skills and parent–child relationships during separation and after reunification.
Key points
- No earlier research had examined the mental health of parents in separated–reunited Chinese immigrant families.
- Parents showed relatively low challenging mental health conditions and no extreme emotional reactions.
- Financial stress, children's educational attainment, family relationships, acculturation and homesickness were related to parental mental health.
- Parenting stress and a lack of communication with children could increase negative emotions.
- Leisure activities, healthy parent–child bonding, quality family time and the child's academic progress were linked to better mental health and positive emotions.
Limitations
The sample is small (24 parents, 12 with diary data) and drawn from Chinese immigrant families in the US, so findings may not apply to other groups or settings. The abstract does not show how parents were recruited, and the findings describe associations rather than proven causes.
Abstract
ABSTRACT Early and prolonged parent–child separation (EPPCS) may affect the health and well‐being of affected families. This phenomenon is common but understudied among Chinese immigrant families, especially those living in low‐income communities. Whereas some research has been conducted to understand the mental health and development of separated–reunited children, no research has examined the mental health condition of affected parents. The present study collected interviews ( N = 24) and daily diary survey data (50% of the interview sample) to explore parental mental health and emotions and related factors among Chinese immigrant parents who have reunited with their children after EPPCS. Results integrating qualitative and quantitative analysis showed relatively low challenging mental health conditions in general, yet moderate positive to minor negative emotions (i.e., without extreme emotional reactions) among parents. Factors related to parental mental health included financial stress, children's educational attainment, family relationships, acculturation and homesickness. Parenting stress and a lack of communication with children could affect their negative emotions. Engagement in leisure activities, healthy parent–child bonding, quality family time and the child's advancement in academics were found to be beneficial to parental mental health conditions and positive emotions. The study provides insights for policies and community‐based services to support parents' parenting skills and relationships with their separated children during separation and after reunification.