Far from happiness: the impact of children’s migration distance on parents’ mental health

The mental well-being of middle-aged and elderly individuals is significantly impacted by the migration patterns of their offspring. Utilizing three-wave panel data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) across 13,432 households, we investigate how children’s migration distance influences their parents’ mental health within an intergenerational transfer framework that incorporates spatial separation. Our analysis reveals a notable decline in parental mental health corresponding to an increase in the migration distance of their children, with the magnitude of this negative effect varying significantly based on parental and familial characteristics. Particularly, parents, especially mothers, of younger age, lower income, lower educational attainment, and unmarried status are more severely affected. Moreover, the adverse impact is amplified in households residing in urban areas or with rural hukou status. We pinpoint reduced living care from offspring and diminished parental care for grandchildren as the primary mechanisms driving these effects. These findings offer valuable insights to guide policy deliberations concerning health and old-age support in developing nations.