Associations of parental divorce with student mental health and academic outcomes: A quantitative study in rural China

Background: This paper examines the prevalence, correlates, and developmental consequences of divorce among junior high school students in rural China. Specifically, we investigate the connections between parental divorce and student mental health and academic performance, while also examining whether a student's living arrangement after divorce influences these outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from 17,955 students across 122 rural junior high schools in China on their mental health, characteristics, and academic performance. Mental health was measured using the self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results: About 8.35 % of the students had divorced parents, with increased risk observed for students who were only children, had migrant mothers, or had higher educated mothers (ORs = 4.35, 29.94, and 1.78, respectively; Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.05). Students with divorced parents exhibited a higher likelihood of internalizing (0.032), externalizing (0.052) abnormality (Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.001) and scored 0.203 SD lower on the math test (Bonferroni-adjusted p < 0.001). Living arrangements post-divorce, either with a mother or a father, equally negatively impacted student mental health and academic performance, with a mitigating effect observed when grandparental childcare was provided. Limitations: Our study faced limitations in assessing the influence of grandparental childcare on coping with parental divorce due to challenges in gauging the extent of such support for students residing with a parent after divorce. This study did not empirically find differences by ethnicity; further in-depth case study is needed to better illuminate the findings. Conclusions: Parental divorce among young students in rural China is associated with adverse developmental outcomes. These findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted programs in rural China to mitigate these risks and provide support for young students with divorced parents.