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.