AUTHOR=Shen Guanghui , Tang Jiayi , Fang Juan , Huang Jiahui , Zheng Yawen , Wu Liujun , Yang Xudong , Chen Yu-Hsin , Chen Li 

TITLE=Family and job microsystems as mediators between social integration and depression among rural-to-urban migrant workers in China: does having sons make a difference?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406451

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406451

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background: Rural-to-urban migrant workers are a vulnerable group at risk of developing depression. Based on the social-ecological systems theory, this study investigates the impact of the lack of social integration on depression, considering the mediating roles of migrant workers' microsystems (family happiness and job burnout). Additionally, the study explores whether having sons influences these associations.The sample of 4618 rural-to-urban migrant workers was obtained from the 2018 wave of the China Labor Force Dynamics Survey (CLDS). All the measures in the survey exhibited good reliability, including the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression Scale (CES-D), family happiness, job burnout, and social integration. The data were primarily analyzed using a structural equation model.Results: Social integration had a direct impact on depression among migrant workers. Additionally, it indirectly affected depression through the mediating roles of family happiness not job burnout. The moderating effect of having sons mainly occurred on the path from social integration to family happiness.The cross-sectional design impeded the ability to draw causal inferences.This finding highlights the potential benefits of social integration and family happiness in promoting early prevention of depression among migrant workers. It indicates that the inclination towards having sons among migrant workers continues to impact their mental health.