TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceived social cohesion and depressive symptoms among internal migrants in China
T2 - The mediating role of social adaptation
AU - Qu, Xiaomin
AU - Qi, Xiang
AU - Wu, Bei
AU - Yu, Jiaojiao
AU - Zhang, Haidong
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China under program number of (17ZDA111) and (17ASH004). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Qu, Qi, Wu, Yu and Zhang.
PY - 2023/2/7
Y1 - 2023/2/7
N2 - Background: Internal migrants are exposed to higher risks of depressive symptoms due to migration-related stress. It has been recognized that perceived neighborhood social cohesion has direct and indirect associations with depressive symptoms. However, the pathway from perceived social cohesion to internal migrants' depressive symptoms was less discussed. Objectives: To assess mental health disparities among internal migrants. To investigate the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms among urban-to-urban and rural-to-urban migrants and to examine the mediating role of social adaptation. Methods: Data from the “2017 Urbanization and New Migrant Survey” was used, including 2,584 internal migrants age 18–65 from 10 cities in China. Social cohesion was measured by a six-item modified Community-level Cohesion Scale. Depressive symptoms was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and social adaptation was assessed by a single-item question of migrants' adaptation to local life. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Baron and Kenny's mediation tests were conducted to examine the mediating role of social adaptation on the association. All analyses were adjusted using sampling weights to account for this survey's sampling design. Results: Rural-to-urban migrants were found to have more clinically significant depressive symptoms, lower perceived social cohesion, and fair or low social adaptation than urban-to-urban migrants (all p < 0.001). Being rural-to-urban migrants as compared with urban-to-urban migrants [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.46, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.456, 1.461, p < 0.001], had lower perceived social cohesion (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.458, 1.463, p < 0.001), and poorer social adaptation (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.932, 1.941, p < 0.001), are associated with higher odds of having clinically significant depressive symptoms. Social adaptation partially mediated the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms by explaining 15.39% of its effect for urban-to-urban migrants and 18.97% for rural-to-urban migrants. Conclusions: Findings from this study reveal mental health inequalities among internal migrants and demonstrate the importance of social adaption on the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Social strategies and public policies are needed to build a more cohesive community that serves both local residents and internal migrants, especially rural-to-urban migrants.
AB - Background: Internal migrants are exposed to higher risks of depressive symptoms due to migration-related stress. It has been recognized that perceived neighborhood social cohesion has direct and indirect associations with depressive symptoms. However, the pathway from perceived social cohesion to internal migrants' depressive symptoms was less discussed. Objectives: To assess mental health disparities among internal migrants. To investigate the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms among urban-to-urban and rural-to-urban migrants and to examine the mediating role of social adaptation. Methods: Data from the “2017 Urbanization and New Migrant Survey” was used, including 2,584 internal migrants age 18–65 from 10 cities in China. Social cohesion was measured by a six-item modified Community-level Cohesion Scale. Depressive symptoms was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and social adaptation was assessed by a single-item question of migrants' adaptation to local life. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Baron and Kenny's mediation tests were conducted to examine the mediating role of social adaptation on the association. All analyses were adjusted using sampling weights to account for this survey's sampling design. Results: Rural-to-urban migrants were found to have more clinically significant depressive symptoms, lower perceived social cohesion, and fair or low social adaptation than urban-to-urban migrants (all p < 0.001). Being rural-to-urban migrants as compared with urban-to-urban migrants [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.46, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.456, 1.461, p < 0.001], had lower perceived social cohesion (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.458, 1.463, p < 0.001), and poorer social adaptation (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.932, 1.941, p < 0.001), are associated with higher odds of having clinically significant depressive symptoms. Social adaptation partially mediated the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms by explaining 15.39% of its effect for urban-to-urban migrants and 18.97% for rural-to-urban migrants. Conclusions: Findings from this study reveal mental health inequalities among internal migrants and demonstrate the importance of social adaption on the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Social strategies and public policies are needed to build a more cohesive community that serves both local residents and internal migrants, especially rural-to-urban migrants.
KW - depression
KW - mental health disparities
KW - migration
KW - social adaptation
KW - social cohesion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85148500706&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1096318
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1096318
M3 - Article
C2 - 36825141
AN - SCOPUS:85148500706
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 1096318
ER -