AUTHOR=Liu Na , Li Xinzheng , Ding Xuemei , Liu Haixia , Zhang Xiaoli 

TITLE=Mediating roles of perceived social support and sense of security in the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction among left-behind children: A cross-sectional study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1100677

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1100677

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Objective To determine the mediating roles of perceived social support and sense of security in the relationship between negative life events and life satisfaction among left-behind children (LBC). Methods A survey was conducted on 281 LBC in rural Shandong, China using negative life events, perceived social support, a sense of security, and life satisfaction scales. Results Negative life events were significantly negatively correlated with perceived social support, a sense of security, and life satisfaction (P<0.001). Perceived social support and a sense of security were significantly positively correlated with life satisfaction (P<0.001). The effect value of perceived social support on negative life events and life satisfaction was −0.21 (95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.32 to −0.14), with an indirect effect share of 33.33%. And the sense of security played an important role between negative life events and life satisfaction (β=−0.05, 95% CI = −0.11 to −0.01, percentage of effect = 7.94). The indirect effect of perceived social support and the sense of security between negative life events and life satisfaction was −0.03 (95% CI = −0.06 to −0.01), with an indirect effect share of 4.76%. Conclusion Negative life events could directly or indirectly affect the life satisfaction of LBC through the chain-mediating effects of perceived social support or the sense of security alone. Perceived social support and the sense of security are two important targets for further improving the life satisfaction of LBC.