Meaning in life for migrant children in China: A latent profile analysis based on risks and resources

Meaning in life (MIL) can help safeguard the mental health of migrant children. However, most current studies employ variable-centered methodologies and frequently overlook population heterogeneity; they also fail to address how the combination of different risks and resources influences MIL.

To explore the group heterogeneity of migrant children according to combinations of risks and resources and how the interaction of these factors affects their MIL.

Participants included a sample of 567 children of migrants.

Participants completed questionnaires enquiring about risk factors (academic pressure, perceived discrimination, and parent-child alienation) and resource factors (parent-child communication, parent-child trust, perceived social support, and resilience). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify different groups according to the combinations of these risks and resources; we then identified the differences in MIL among these groups.

Four groups were identified: low-resource group (26 %), high-risk/low-endogenous-resource group (8 %), balanced group (43 %), and low-risk/high-resource group (23 %). MIL was highest among the low-risk/high-resource group and lowest among the low-resource group. The high-risk/low-endogenous-resource and balanced groups were in the middle.

Risks and resources associated with migrant children are combined in different ways; LPA revealed clear categorization trends. There were significant differences in MIL among the four categories we identified. Attention should be paid to increasing resources for migrant children, as these may have a stronger impact on their MIL than risks.