The longitudinal associations among grandparent–grandchild cohesion, cultural beliefs about adversity, and depression in Chinese rural left-behind children

This study examined the effects of grandparent–grandchild cohesion on the cross-lagged associations between depression and cultural beliefs about adversity in a sample of 625 rural left-behind children in China. Grandparent–grandchild cohesion was concurrently and longitudinally associated with children’s depression and cultural beliefs about adversity. Cultural beliefs about adversity mediated the associations between grandparent–grandchild cohesion and children’s depression, while depression mediated the associations between grandparent–grandchild cohesion and children’s beliefs about adversity. Left-behind status differences were also found in mediation models. These findings suggest the important role of grandparent–grandchild cohesion in left-behind children’s adjustment.